Cursed
by Your Rude Awakening
Summary: ON HIATUS - Cursed by Kikyō, every new moon Kagome turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one unfortunate night of the new moon, no one is there to save her from herself and the eager demons.
1. I

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male, but she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**October 29th, 2004**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

"You know, Miroku, I never noticed how unbelievably hot you are." Kagome stated seductively as she moved closer to her monk friend.

"Uh, thank you, Kagome-sama." laughed Miroku nervously. He swallowed hard and tried moving away from his friend.

"Oh, don't tell me that after all the times you asked, you don't want me to bare your children." Kagome pouted as Miroku moved away from her.

"Uh, well just not tonight. Tomorrow is good for me." Miroku replied, very reluctant to have to deny the beautiful priestess.

"But I don't want to wait." she whispered, moving closer. She stopped when she heard Inuyasha growl. "Oh, do you want to play?" she asked smugly as she moved to sit in her hanyō friend's lap. Though tonight he was human.

"Uh, Kikyō-" he was interrupted by a kiss.

"I'll be anyone you want." whispered Kagome as she leaned in to nibble playfully along Inuyasha's neck.

"ALRIGHT!" shouted Sango as she grabbed hold of her cursed friend and dragged her away from their two male companions.

Kagome narrowed her now blood red eyes at her female friend. Waist length pitch-black hair fell over the demoness' shoulders as they slumped forward. "If I didn't know that I would feel guilt in the morning, you would be dead." growled Kagome angrily.

"Well then, I'm glad you do know." Sango retorted.

"Bitch." mumbled Kagome. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she found the scent of a demon male nearby. Biting her lip she stood.

"Hey! Sit back down! There is absolutely no way we're letting you go anywhere." demanded Sango as she stood as well.

"Oh hush wench, I'm just going to go use the bathroom." Kagome growled as she moved to leave camp.

"Then I'm going too." said Sango as she followed but was stopped by a barrier.

"No you're not." taunted Kagome. The demoness watched as Miroku and Inuyasha stood to help Sango pound on the barrier. "Hmph, that won't work. Now if you'll excuse me, I've just picked up on the scent of a male demon. Got mating to do." She stated before disappearing from sight.

"KAGOME, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" yelled Inuyasha in rage.

"Oh, do you want to play now?" she questioned hopefully. Her voice seemed to echo around them, almost tauntingly.

"If that will make you stay then, fine." Inuyasha answered, finally giving in. Nearly instantly the barrier was gone and Kagome was attached to Inuyasha, pulling none to gently at his haori.

"Finally." she sighed licking her lips. She was leaning in for a kiss when suddenly a shock went through her body. The sun was coming up and she was becoming her normal human self again. With a whimper, she slumped against Inuyasha as she lost consciousness.

Everyone else in the clearing sighed. Another night passed without Kagome mating anyone.

"That was too close. And it seems as if see gains new abilities to help her achieve what she wants every transformation. I don't think we'll be able to stop her next time." said Miroku as he leaned tiredly against a tree.

"I agree. We need to find something in these next few days that will help to keep her contained or else," Sango left the sentence hanging. Inuyasha and Miroku already knew what she meant so there was no need to say it aloud.

"Damn Kikyō." Inuyasha growled.

"There's nothing that cursing Kikyō can do. She's already returned to the land of the dead, thanks to you." said Miroku wisely.

"Yeah and it seems that before Kagome had the rest of her soul, she was easier to control." Sango pointed out.

"Feh, well it's not like that can be changed, so no sense in dwelling on that." said Inuyasha as he moved Kagome onto his back.

"Let us return to Kaede's for a day of resting and then we'll set out for a solution to keeping Kagome-sama contained." Miroku offered as he grabbed Shippou and the rest of their belongings.

Kirara stretched and stood before transforming into her larger form to give Sango and Miroku a ride to the village.

This was going to be a long month.

* * *

"Oh, so ye are awake I see." sighed Kaede as she looked upon Kagome with a small smile.

"Mm." was Kagome's only awakening reply. Kaede chuckled.

"You gave Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha quite the scare last night." stated Kaede.

"Oh. What happened?" Kagome questioned as she sat up. Looking around, she found it to be late in the day. Miroku and Sango were asleep in a corner.

"Well, ye got very close to mating a demon. Inuyasha saved you by agreeing to mate with you." Kaede replied.

"Oh, yeah. I remember now." Kagome sighed. "I called Sango names and flirted with Miroku even though I know that Sango likes him." sighing, Kagome pulled her legs to her chest. "I'm becoming more powerful. Next time, they won't be able to stop me." she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"Aye child, do not cry. All will be alright. Ye friends were even planning on heading out to find a containment spell for ye tomorrow." Kaede stated, hoping to keep the younger miko from having a nervous breakdown. And it seemed to work as the tears that had begun to gather, dried up and disappeared.

"Then, I hope that we can find one in time. By the way, where is Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking up.

"I believe he is out by the God Tree." Kaede replied, helpfully.

"Thanks." sighed Kagome before standing and leaving.

* * *

"Alright, Kaede, we'll see you in a month. Bye!" yelled Kagome, waving kindly back at the older priestess.

She and the rest of the group were headed north where a rumor of an old witch that had spells for anything, lived in the northern mountains.

As they walked through the forest, all was silent. No one could say anything for they knew not of what to say.

"I-I'm really sorry about the night before last." Kagome said finally after what seemed like an eternity of silence. Everyone stopped walking and turned to the silently crying miko.

"Oh, Kagome, it's not your fault. Don't be sorry." said Sango as she pulled her distraught friend into a hug.

"But I called you names and I was so close to ruining everything you all worked so hard to protect. I'm so sorry." Kagome sobbed, not able to take the stress of the situation any longer.

Growling Inuyasha pulled Kagome away from Sango and maneuvered her so that she was looking right at him and couldn't get away. "Would you stop crying!" he yelled. "If we keep moving then we might be able to find the witch who can help us keep you safe and because I promised to keep you safe then let's go." He growled as he picked Kagome up and began running in the direction of north.

"This curse is killing them both." Miroku pointed out.

"No, Miroku, it's killing us all." Sango corrected as they both mounted Kirara to catch up quickly to their friends.

* * *

Inuyasha paced angrily in front of the campfire that had been built to keep the group warm that evening. "We only have five more days before the curse goes into effect again and we still haven't found the damn witch." he growled, highly frustrated.

Kagome was asleep in her sleeping bag. Shippou and Kirara were curled up with her, asleep as well. Sango and Miroku watched their friend, glad that Kagome was not awake. It wouldn't be good if she saw what this curse was really doing to Inuyasha.

"I asked a villager from earlier today, and she said that the witch's cave was four days from there." Sango stated for the third time that day.

"Four days! Four days! I know that damnit! That's not enough time. What if the witch doesn't know of a spell? Then what?" asked Inuyasha.

"Then-" Sango paused. She didn't know what to do. "Maybe we can get a miko from a nearby village to put up a barrier to keep Kagome safe." she offered after a moment.

"A miko?! She might purify Kagome!" Inuyasha nearly shouted but was cautious, knowing that he might wake Kagome.

"Sango might have the right idea." Miroku suddenly said, speaking for the first time that evening. Inuyasha went quiet when he heard the monk.

Sighing, the inu-hanyō sat down. "I . . I guess you're right. But only to keep Kagome safe. Only then will we ever think of using another miko."

"Alright, so we have a back up plan. Let's just believe that there is a witch that knows a spell to contain Kagome and is willing to teach the spell to us." sighed Miroku as he moved to go to sleep.

The next four days were going to be long and hard, for Inuyasha would try to push them so that they would arrive soon and could possibly get an extra day to find a miko that could cast a barrier to contain Kagome.

* * *

A sigh escaped the lips of Kagome as she sat on the hard stone of the mountain on which the witch lived.

There had been a landslide yesterday on the mountain and the group lost a time. So it was now the day of the new moon.

Luckily, the witch had known a spell to contain Kagome but she said that she wouldn't give the spell away unless she knew what the spell would be use for and of course, a price. Right now, her friends were explaining their journey to collect the jewel shards to the witch. Unfortunately, the group had arrived with only four hours until sunset. It had been an hour since they arrived and it didn't seem that the witch believed anything they had said.

"Proof." rasped the old witch.

"Proof?!" yelled Inuyasha and Sango.

"Sango-sama, Inuyasha-san, no need for yelling. Majo-sama, what kind of proof would you need?" questioned Miroku, trying his best to stay calm. But even with his training as a monk, it was difficult.

"Anything you have that will help me to believe your story." replied the witch.

"Look in Kagome's bag." Shippou chirped as he opened the big yellow pack filled with many things from the future. The young kit threw many things from the bag but stopped when he heard the old witch.

"What is that?" she asked pointing to a chocolate bar.

"Ooh, that's chocolate. It's really good." Shippou replied as he held a Snickers bar out to the old woman.

Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippou and Kirara all watched as Majo unwrapped the bar and took a bite. Her eyes lit up and soon the whole thing was gone. Silence passed and Inuyasha was about ready to jump up and choke someone when the witch spoke.

"Okay, I believe you." she stated. Everyone sighed and leaned closer when she said to, so that the spell could be taught.

* * *

Three hours had passed and the sun was setting. Apparently, the witch had forgotten the spell and had to look through her huge book and it ended up taking three hours to find.

"Fucking finally!" yelled Inuyasha as he took the piece of parchment paper and headed out side to show Kagome. "Aw, damn!" he cursed when he saw the last of the sunset. Kagome gasped and turned around to find the last of the silver fading from Inuyasha's hair. Soon enough her eyes changed from their usual mud brown to a blood red while her hair lengthened and darkened in color. Her eyes now held a lust to them as she looked upon Inuyasha.

"I'm back." she whispered, licking her lips. "And I don't appreciate what you did to me last time." she stated waging a finger in front of her face.

"Monk, get out here and cast the spell." yelled Inuyasha and within seconds, Miroku and the rest were outside.

"So you have the spell. Hm. That won't do. I must have my fun." She murmured. "Bye." she said before disappearing from sight.

"Damnit all to hell!" yelled Inuyasha. "Come on." he called racing off after Kagome.

"Good luck!" shouted the witch before returning to her hut with a smile on her face. She had stolen the entire supply of Snickers from Kagome's bag.

'_Hope those young kids can save their friend.'_ she thought idly before stuffing her face with a chocolate bar.

* * *

"Wench, get your hands off of me!" demanded a demon with golden eyes and silver hair.

"But, Sess-kun, I want to play." whined Kagome seductively. Sesshōmaru growled as his brother's wench twirled his hair around her finger. He growled as pink seeped into his eyes, not far from the blood red of losing control of his demon.

"If you do not remove your hands from me then you will regret ever touching this Sesshōmaru." he growled trying very hard to keep his instincts in check. The demon Kagome's scent had altered and now every male yōkai that she tried to seduce would go into a lust for her.

"Oh, Sess, you know that you want this. Just let go and I promise we'll have fun." whispered Kagome as she leaned in to delicately lick the shell of his ear.

The Lord of the Western Lands shivered as he lost complete control over his demon side. Within the blink of an eye, they were both on the ground with Sesshōmaru leaning over Kagome.

Kagome giggled. "You're a very good puppy." she praised as the demon lord leaned down and began lavishing her neck with kisses and nips.

"KAGOME!" both demons heard the voices calling that interrupted them from their "important" business. With a sigh that sounded more like a growl, Kagome pushed Sesshōmaru off of her.

"Come, we must find a secluded place." she whispered into his ear before pushing away and pulling him up so they could leave. Behind Kagome, Sesshōmaru followed, with his eyes still glowing red as he obeyed her commands.

"Kagome, don't move another foot!" yelled Inuyasha as he and the rest of her friends appeared through the trees.

"Why do you insist on trying to stop me?" she questioned as she turned around. Sesshōmaru growled as he turned to his half-brother.

"Sesshōmaru?!" Inuyasha all but yelled.

"Yes, he is more than willing to obey me and succumb to my orders, so why not?" Kagome inquired as she looked at Inuyasha.

"Miroku, you better be working on that spell." Inuyasha growled as he glanced at his perverted monk friend.

"I'm working on it." Miroku replied as his eyes scanned a scroll. Kagome tilted her head to the side as she watched Miroku.

"What spell, the containing spell that you so hope works on me?" Kagome questioned with a laugh.

Suddenly Sesshōmaru growled as he looked to Kagome, wanting to understand why she was standing around having a conversation when they could be mating. "Aw, okay my little puppy." Kagome sympathized. She grabbed onto Sesshōmaru's furry white pelt before pulling him away. Just as they were about to exit the clearing, the sudden creation of a barrier tore them apart, keeping Kagome in solitude. Said demoness gasped before she snarled and tried to claw her way out of the barrier. Sesshōmaru on the other hand moved to strangle the source of his being separated from his almost-mate.

"Remove the barrier!" growled the taiyōkai as he grabbed hold of his younger brother. Blood red eyes, ablaze. Inuyasha smirked, even though he was human this night.

"I can't. That barrier holds until the sun rises. And it is unbreakable. Even Tetsusaiga couldn't break through." said the hanyō-turned-human haughtily.

Sesshōmaru snarled at his younger brother before throwing him to the ground and turning back to the captured Kagome. She was currently trying with all of her powers, to break free of her imprisonment. There were only four hours until sunrise and the minutes just kept ticking by and soon enough the sun could be seen on the horizon.

Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all sighed when the sun rose into the sky. They all watched as the barrier fell and Kagome fainted as she reverted back to her human form. Inuyasha walked over to Kagome and lifted her up easily, thanks to his recently acquired demonic attributes. Sesshōmaru on the other hand shook his head as the red faded from his eyes. He growled when memories of just moments before seeped into his mind.

"Damn wench. Keep her away from me if you want her to continue to live, Inuyasha." he growled, looking at Kagome with a disgusted look before vanishing from sight. Not even bothering to demand Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha.

"Let's go back to the village." Inuyasha offered. The others nodded, tired yawns slipping from the their mouths. Kirara kindly transformed, allowing her weary friends a ride on her back.

Another night survived.

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Please review for this story. If I get at least five reviews then I'll post chapter two.

Oh well. Ja Ne for now!

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	2. II

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male, but she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

"How's my woman?" questioned a gruff voice as a brown colored wolf appeared in front of a silver inu hanyō.

"She's not your woman." Inuyasha stated angrily. "Damn mangy wolf." he grumbled.

"Hello, Kōga." Kagome greeted with a cheerful smile. "It's good to see you again." she added politely.

"Of course it is." Kōga stated cockily. Kagome giggled at her good friend.

"How long will you be staying this time, Kōga?" Miroku questioned.

"Well since I happen to know that there is a jewel shard a few hours from here, I'll stick around till it's safely in my woman's hands." Kōga replied. "And since it's so late, I guess I'll be staying the entire night." he added, winking suggestively at his favorite miko.

Kagome went stiff when she heard this, as well as the rest of her friends. Tonight was her transformation. It would not due to have Kōga in the area when she transformed. He would just think that she had finally agreed to be his mate and that was not a good thing.

"Sorry, Kōga, but I don't think that you staying with us tonight would be a good thing." Kagome stated and watched as her friend saddened at hearing such a thing.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Well it's not because I don't want you to stay, but because tonight something very important is going to happen that, well, can't be known to those outside of the immediate group." Kagome replied.

"Huh?" questioned Kōga, highly confused as to what was just said.

"Just stay the hell away from us tonight." Inuyasha supplied easily.

"Oh. Hey, wait a minute, dog-breath, there is no way you can keep me from my woman." Kōga growled.

"She's not your woman!" yelled Inuyasha pushing back the sleeve of his haori, ready to beat up the wolf.

"You want to fight, dog breath?" Kōga questioned hopping from foot to foot, ready to fight. Inuyasha growled in answer.

"Both of you stop, please!" Kagome begged as she stood up forced herself between the two.

"Whatever my woman wants, she gets." said Kōga holding up his hands and sitting down.

"Inuyasha, please leave Kōga alone." Kagome pleaded. The hanyō grumbled as he sat down but did as his friend needed.

"Thank you. Now, Kōga," Kagome began turning around.

"Yeah?" answered the wolf demon.

"Why don't you go on ahead? If you can find out what kind of demon we're up against, then I'll let you keep the jewel shard." Kagome offered.

"Really?!" Kōga questioned excitedly.

"What?!" shouted Inuyasha angrily.

"Yeah." Kagome answered with a nod.

"Alright. I'll see you later then." stated Kōga happily before racing off.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled once the wolf demon was gone.

"What?" Kagome answered, just as angry as her friend.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" he questioned.

"If he had stayed then he would have found out about my secret and then he would find even more reasons to come around and just might take me away from you and make sure that I become his mate." Kagome stated.

"Oh yeah?!" Inuyasha yelled unthinkingly.

"Yeah!" Kagome yelled right back.

"Fine!" he shouted, sitting back down. Everyone watched him with wide eyes.

"Uh, are you feeling alright, Inuyasha?" questioned Sango.

"Why the hell are you asking?" he demanded angrily.

"Because you gave up so easily in your argument with Kagome-sama." Miroku answered.

"Yeah? And?" Inuyasha asked threateningly.

"Oh nothing." Sighed Sango.

"Feh, good." Inuyasha grumbled. He was on edge because already he could feel his demonic power leaving him. That and it was almost sunset.

'_Damnit, why couldn't Kikyō have picked another night?'_ Inuyasha demanded of himself. When he actually thought about it, he realized that he was somewhat grateful. Since his demon blood wasn't active this night then he wouldn't be able to fall under Kagome's scent spell.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango questioned watching her friend. Kagome looked somewhat sick.

"Huh? Uh, yeah." Kagome nodded slowly. Sweat was gathered around her eyebrows and she swayed slightly on her feet. She gasped when suddenly her knees buckled under her and she fell. Before she could hit the ground, Inuyasha caught her.

"Inuyasha," she whispered clutching tightly to his fire rat haori before passing out.

"This has happened before." Miroku stated, suddenly very serious.

"What do you mean ,Miroku-sama?" Sango questioned looking to her monk friend before looking back at Kagome.

"This has happened every time she gained a new power to help her achieve her goal." Miroku replied naming a few past occurrences with this similar situation.

"So what? Do you think that she'll be strong enough to break the barrier?" Inuyasha questioned.

"No, Tetsusaiga couldn't so I doubt that she'll be able to." Miroku replied with a shake of his head. "But, then she's always shocked us with her power. I wouldn't leave it past her." He added.

A very strong silence passed.

"So, what are we going to do if she can?" Sango inquired.

"I'm not sure, Sango-sama. I'm not sure." Miroku replied. "If the time comes, then we'll have to stall her. However, because we're no where near a village harboring a priestess, then we'll have to fight her." He added solemnly.

"F-fight, Kagome-chan?" Sango stuttered. "But she, what if-?" Sango couldn't finish her sentence and just fell silent.

"You and Kirara would have to do the actual attacking. If anything we can stall her with constantly casting the barrier." Miroku said.

"I," Sango looked sadly at Kagome. Right now she felt just as she did when they faced Naraku, and Kohaku was there. She felt in this moment, exactly as she did when she knew she would have to fight Kohaku.

'_Kohaku. Kagome.'_ Her mind whispered. "I can't!" Sango whimpered standing and taking off to be with her thoughts.

"SANGO!" Miroku shouted. He realized what he was asking when he stated that she would have to physically fight Kagome. But they couldn't send Inuyasha. He couldn't fight, he relied too heavily on his demon instincts and now he was human. And he himself needed to be the one casting the spell.

"Uh-oh." Shippou said suddenly. Miroku looked over to the young kit to see him looking at the sun in the distance. The sun was setting and Kagome was stirring awake as her demon powers filled her newly reshaped voluptuous body.

* * *

"Kagome-chan." Sango whispered as she wandered the forest. Her thoughts were such a jumbled mess and she couldn't find a shred of sanity in her mind.

It hurt her. Already Kohaku was on her mind constantly, along with ways to fight him and not allow either of them to be hurt. Now Miroku was asking her to fight another important person who was just like a younger sister to her. At least Sango had the knowledge that Kagome wouldn't hurt her too badly. The human Kagome would be devastated should that happen.

Even so Sango still had to watch her back because Kagome was now a demon and it seemed that because they've kept her from her needs each and every month for the past seven months, Kagome was becoming a very irritated demon on the night of the new moon.

'_Kagome and Kohaku.'_ Sango sighed sadly. '_Father, what should I do? I can't fight Kagome. She means too much to me and she at least is alive. Kohaku isn't so if I were to do too much damage, her human body might not survive and then I really would be responsible for the death of someone important in my life.'_ Tears fell from her eyes at just the possibility of her hurting Kagome to the point of death.

"SHIT!" Sango heard coming from the direction of their camp. That sounded like Inuyasha.

"KAGOME, WAIT!" she then heard Shippou yell. Looking up, Sango saw that the sun had set and apparently Kagome was awake.

'_Kagome, if I don't go back and help then Kagome would, no doubt, be able to mate with a demon. So I guess even if I don't help, it would be my fault that Kagome was now a demon for good. Damnit!'_ Sango thought before taking off in the direction of camp.

"Hang on, Kagome-chan." Sango whispered racing through the forest. Stopping suddenly, Sango unhooked Hiraikotsu from her back and readied herself for battle. Taking off again, she saw the light of fire from camp and immediately went into action mode.

"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango shouted throwing her boomerang towards Kagome who looked up and jumped out the way just in time. A glare was then thrown at Sango, courtesy of Kagome.

"Ningen, if you stand in my way I will attack you." Kagome growled as she landed on solid earth.

"Then we shall fight." Sango retorted firmly, catching Hiraikotsu.

"BARRIER!" Miroku suddenly shouted. The same barrier as before appeared around Kagome.

"Oh, this same thing?" Kagome questioned with a smirk. "I hope you have a back up plan." She added. They watched as she stepped back and raised her claws that were now glowing white. Racing forward she clawed at the barrier tearing it apart without even trying. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all gasped in shock.

'_She didn't even break a sweat.'_ They all thought. Sango was the first to recover, for she had to fight Kagome.

"Kirara, let's go!" Sango shouted. Kirara transformed and growled at Kagome.

"So you would fight me too. Even after I brought you yarn and catnip?" Kagome questioned. Kirara paused for a moment before growling once more. "I see." Kagome whispered.

She then disappeared and reappeared beside the neko yōkai pushing lightly on her pressure points sending Kirara into unconsciousness.

"You're next." Kagome stated, looking at Sango with hate filled eyes.

"I don't think so." Sango said defiantly, throwing her boomerang. Again Kagome dodged, but this time she attacked Sango leaving her with a nice sized cut on her right arm.

"Sango!" yelled both Miroku and Inuyasha in shocked fear.

"Kagome!" Sango whispered sadly. "Can I not save you too?" she questioned drawing her sword.

"Save me? Ha!" Kagome scoffed.

"Fine! Then I guess I'll just have to wound you." Sango huffed before dashing forward and slashing at Kagome with her sword.

"Ah!" Kagome gasped. She hadn't expected Sango to buckle down and attack her. This pissed her off and now her animal was taking over.

"How dare you?!" Kagome roared raising her claws and slashing Sango across the chest.

"BARRIER!" yelled Miroku in fear for Sango's life. This distracted Kagome long enough for Sango to steady herself.

"Damn monk." Growled Kagome slashing at the barrier and racing forward to knock him unconscious.

"Kagome, no!" Inuyasha shouted jumping in front of Miroku. Kagome stopped just short of an inch from Inuyasha's nose.

"Move, Inuyasha." Kagome growled.

"No! You have to get control over yourself. What would human Kagome think when she awakes?" Inuyasha questioned Kagome, hoping to bring back her sanity.

It didn't work, but this pause gave Sango enough time to grab her discarded Hiraikotsu and throw it at yōkai Kagome's back knocking her into Inuyasha and Miroku, sending them all to the ground. Snarling Kagome jumped up and turned to glare heatedly at her.

"You will die!" she screamed and blurred out appearing in front of Sango and grabbing the taijiya by the neck only to slam her into the ground. Sango grabbed weakly at Kagome's hand. She was losing consciousness quickly, not only from lack of air but from blood loss.

"Pl-please, K-Kagome-ch-chan." Sango pleaded.

"NO! You three have foiled my plans for the last time." Kagome snarled viciously.

"What will ningen Kagome think?" questioned Inuyasha standing and shaking his head, his body aching from impact. Miroku still lay on the ground, unconscious, from being knocked over by Kagome and Inuyasha with the force of Hiraikotsu knocking them down.

"I will just have to convince her that not having you around is for the better." yōkai Kagome replied, squeezing even harder on Sango's neck. Her eyes bled red from being distracted again from her plans. Teeth bared Kagome snarled before squeezing some more. Her other clawed hand raised to make sure that Sango would be dead.

"NO!" Inuyasha yelled watching her claw lower. Everything happened in slow motion. Kagome's head snapped up to look at the rising sun before looking down to find that her demon features were fading.

A clawed hand no longer wrapped around the unconscious Sango's neck. In its place was the smaller human hand. Inuyasha watched happily as Kagome reverted back to human form and he himself revert back to hanyō form.

Behind him he heard Miroku stir and they both watched in confusion as Kagome was left conscious rather than fainting from her sudden change.

With his sharpened senses, Inuyasha heard Kagome's heart beat quicken and her breathing labor as she backed away from Sango and looked around her in shock at what she had done. Looking down once more at Sango's slack from, Kagome broke down into sobs before standing and racing out of the clearing.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled taking off after her. He was stunned to find that he couldn't keep up with her. Either he hadn't fully reverted back to being a hanyō, or she hadn't fully reverted back to being human and used her demon speed to get away.

Looking ahead Inuyasha realized just how fast they had been going because he could see the clearing with the Bone Eater's Well and could only watch helplessly as Kagome jumped in, running away to her time. When he finally made it to the clearing he jumped in the well only to find that he couldn't get through.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called. _'She might never come back.'_ he thought with despair.

"**KAGOME!!!**" he yelled sadly.

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Nothing to be said, other than to please leave a review. Another five reviews and Chapter Three will be posted.

Until then . . .

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	3. III

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male, but she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

"Momma, I can't take it anymore." Kagome cried as she clutched tightly to her mother's shirt. Azumi Higurashi held tightly to her daughter and rubbed her back in a comforting manner.

"Kagome, you can't give in." Azumi replied with just as much comfort in her voice as in her tender hold.

"But I nearly killed Sango-chan this time. I nearly killed her just like Kohaku does every time we face Naraku, and Sango was already upset at having to fight me too." Kagome said. Azumi looked worried.

"Kagome, just what did Kikyō do to you?" Azumi questioned, the beginnings of fear filling her as she wondered what really had happened to her daughter. What Kagome had really gone through that she, as her mother, hadn't been able to protect her from.

Kagome stiffened. She didn't want to ever think of that subject again, but she couldn't worry her mother either. With a saddened sigh she began retelling the past that had become a horror to her.

* * *

"_Moshi ima kanashimi afureru nara._

_Watashi ni motarete naite ii kara._

_I get, I get, I get, get the feeling._

_I get, I get, I get, get the dreaming._

_Tada kono mama._

_Come my way._

_Kono yami no hotori._

_Come close to me._

_Ima akari tonoshi._

_I'll be with you, I'll be with you._

_Tada soba ni iru kara._

_So come my way." Kagome sang as she walked through the forest towards Kaede's village._

_Today she felt great. Not only had she passed her test but, she felt she was ready to stand up to Inuyasha and tell him her feelings. Kikyō hadn't shown up for nearly four months now and Kagome was feeling pretty confident that four months was enough time for Inuyasha to recover and discover that Kikyō was not herself. Unfortunately, Kagome never made it to the village. A scream of fear brought her to a clearing where her incarnate stood with a triumphant smirk._

"_Reincarnation." Kikyō greeted with a chilling voice and slight nod._

"_Kikyō, what are you doing here? And where did that scream come from?" Kagome questioned looking around and making sure to stay near the tree lines, in case Kikyō tried anything._

"_That scream? That came from me. I wanted to speak with you privately, Kagome." Kikyō replied, warmth entering her voice._

"_What about?" Kagome asked, curious but still mindful of the fact that this shadow of a woman had tried to kill her before._

"_Inuyasha, I've realized that he can't move on while I'm still in his life as I am. Dead." Kikyō replied._

"_Oh." was all Kagome said._

"_Yes, I realize that as long as I'm dead, he'll never be able to move on and find the strength to fight Naraku." Kikyō furthered explained as she took slow steps towards Kagome._

"_Kikyō, Inuyasha finds strength in the fact of protecting you and fighting to reclaim the jewel to bring you back." Kagome corrected as her heart began to race at the close proximity of Kikyō._

"_Really?" Kikyō questioned, looking deep into her reincarnation's eyes. Kagome only nodded. "I see, but he finds strength in protecting you as well. … And I've become tired of wandering as I am. I wish for a body, but I've realize that I've already had my chance at life. I only wish that I could finish what I left undone in my life." Kikyō stated sadly, reaching out a hand to cup Kagome's cheek gently. "I can not feel your warmth. I cannot feel how soft your skin is. I am dead and I wish to be alive." Kikyō continued bitterly in a mere whisper._

_Kagome watched her incarnation with sad eyes. It was true, she felt pity for the woman before her. Her life had ended so soon and left so many promises unkempt, so many things undone. It wasn't fair for her to walk the earth as she did, having to watch her future self take the love of her life away. Or watch her most hated enemy harm her love._

"_Kikyō, I'm sorry… I wish…" Kagome paused. What did she wish? She couldn't wish for Kikyō to be alive for then that would lead her to death. She could wish for Inuyasha to be with Kikyō, but then she herself would have to suffer heartbreak and she had already done that. "Kikyō," The dead priestess shook her head with sad eyes closing to hide pain._

"_No, the only way for me to live again would be for me to take your life." Kikyō sighed, removing her hand from Kagome's face. "I do not wish to do so. Inuyasha's heart is torn between us and killing you would kill part of him, and I would never completely have his love. Part of him would always hate me." reasoned Kikyō, turning her back towards Kagome so she could look out into the forest._

"_I," Again Kagome did not have the chance to finish her sentence._

"_But because I am only a shell of my former shelf, and you have most of our soul, I don't not feel such disgust and remorse at the thought of killing you to get my way. All I feel is hate and emptiness. That is why," Kikyō paused to turn back around. A look of hate now covered her features. "That is why I am able to kill you and frame another demon for your death without even blinking as I lie to Inuyasha." she finished with a smirk. Kagome gasped in horrid shock as she tried to move backwards away from Kikyō._

"_No!" she cried fearfully. "Kikyō, why?" Kagome questioned when she found that some sort of magic held her feet to the ground._

"_Because I want to live. It's as selfishly simple as that." Kikyō replied, moving closer towards her reincarnation. "But I want to watch Inuyasha suffer for his betrayal against me with you. So I won't kill you, but curse you to a fate much worse than death. I shall curse you to turn demon each moonless night. A lusting demon searching for a mate. If you find and mate with a suitable demon then you will forever be demon and no longer be of use to Inuyasha. This task will not kill you, but wear you down to the point where you feel as if you were dead. And then, I will convince your 'mate' to finish what I started, and end your pathetic life." Kikyō said, backing away as she laughed at her ingenious plan._

"_INUYASHA!!!" Kagome screamed hoping that he would hear her and come to save her, if Kikyō hadn't put up a barrier that blocked sounds from escaping. Upon seeing the undead creature frown, Kagome realized that Kikyō hadn't._

"_You, stupid girl." Kikyō growled, stepping forward and striking her reincarnation._

_Tears gathered in Kagome's eyes. She was afraid. She couldn't move and Kikyō was in the clearing full of hate for her._

"_Kagome!" they both heard in the distance._

'_**Inuyasha.' **Kagome cried, mentally relieved. Kikyō frowned even more before stepping back and placing her hands in prayer position. A dark aura surrounded her as she began her curse._

"_KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted breaking through the clearing. He paused upon seeing Kikyō in the clearing as well._

"_Kagome!" cried Sango and Miroku on Kirara as they entered the clearing. They stopped briefly when Inuyasha didn't do anything, but stare. However, when they saw Kikyō, they rushed forward to help Kagome, only to find that Kikyō's soul stealers blocked their path._

"_Kagome-chan." Sango called slicing through the demons with her Hiraikotsu._

"_Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted trying to jar their hanyō friend into helping._

_Hearing Miroku's voice Inuyasha was forced back into reality. "Kikyō," he whispered taking a step forward. But it was as if she didn't hear him. "Kikyō, what are you doing?" he questioned, moving closer._

"_yōkai!" Kikyō shouted suddenly, eyes snapping open and thrusting her hands forward towards Kagome as dark energy shot forward and collided with Kagome's chest._

"_AHHHHHH!" Kagome screamed in pain._

"_Kikyō!" Inuyasha cried watching as Kagome fell to the floor writhing in pain and Kikyō watched with a smirk._

"_KAGOME!" Sango and Miroku cried finishing the last of Kikyō's demons and rushing forward to kneel beside their friend._

"_AHHHHHHHHHH!" Another scream tore from Kagome's throat as the pain multiplied. Tears gathered in both Kagome's and Sango's eyes. Kagome's tears of pain. Sango's in fear for her friend's health._

"_What did you do?" Inuyasha demanded looking at Kikyō with a look of horror._

"_I cursed her, to be a demon every night of the new moon." Kikyō replied._

"_A demon. Why?" Miroku questioned, looking angry. Kikyō moved to speak, but another scream from Kagome made her pause._

"_Because I want her to suffer for trying to take Inuyasha from me." Kikyō replied. "Not only will she turn into a demon, but one that lusts for the touch of a male. When she mates with one, she will forever be demon and useless to you, Inuyasha." Kikyō replied turning to face the hanyō she loved and hated so much._

"_How dare you hurt Kagome?!" Inuyasha growled. Red seeping into his eyes even though Tetsusaiga hung at his waist._

"_How dare I?! How dare you betray me with her?" Kikyō answered._

"_Me, what about you and Naraku?" Inuyasha shouted angrily. Kikyō paused in dismay that he knew such a secret. "You are not Kikyō. I don't who you are, but Kikyō died fifty-one years ago. You are just a phantom of her and need to be removed from this world." Inuyasha stated cracking his knuckles and looking up into her eyes._

"_Die, Kikyō." Inuyasha whispered jumping forward and slashing his claws through her body._

"_AHHHHHHHHHH!" Both Kagome and Kikyō screamed at the same time._

_Stumbling backwards, Kikyō glared hard at Inuyasha before her soul collecting demons came and gathered her to take her away. "You have not seen that last of me, Inuyasha." Kikyō yelled at him from the sky. "YOU BETRAYED ME AGAIN." she shouted, disappearing from view._

"_Damn you, Kikyō." Inuyasha snarled. A whimper from Kagome brought his attention back and he immediately gathered her in his arms before racing off for Kaede's village._

* * *

"Kagome, sweetheart." Azumi whispered sadly after hearing her daughter's broken story. Her arms wrapped even tighter around the youth than ever before.

"Please, okaa-san, I don't know what to do." Kagome whimpered.

"Kagome, I'm afraid that I do not know either, but what I do know is that you need to go back and see your friends. I'm sure they understand that it wasn't your fault. If they truly are your family there, they will not hold anything against you. In fact I'm sure they are worried." Azumi replied.

"Really?" Kagome questioned looking into her mother's eyes. Azumi nodded.

"Really." she assured hugging her daughter again.

"Okay, but can I stay here for a couple weeks? I need-" Kagome paused when she was interrupted.

"I understand, no need to ask. Take a while to gather yourself and then go. Just be sure to return before your next transformation." Azumi nodded.

"Hai." Kagome sighed, snuggling deeper into her mother's embrace and missing the pained look that crossed Azumi's features.

_'I should have never allowed you to leave. I'm so sorry, Kagome.'_

* * *

"Hey, sis, come here!" Sota shouted from several feet ahead of his sister. They were at the mall, shopping for their grandfather's birthday.

"Hang on, Sota!" Kagome called back, sighing softly as she quickened her pace to catch up to her brother. "What?" Kagome questioned upon reaching him.

"That store. You think maybe we could find something in there?" Sota answered pointing in front of him to a store labeled 'Sengoku Shikon'.

Kagome looked upon the place with curious and analyzing eyes. "We could try." Kagome replied grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him into the store. When they entered Kagome felt as if she was back in Sengoku Jidai during a busy day at a village with people bustling and shopping while enjoying themselves. The ambiance was truly indistinguishable from the reality of what she experienced every time she jumped into the Bone Eater's Well. "Wow!" she whispered.

"Eh, boring. Come on I'm sure we can find something for Gramps in here." Sota said, this time pulling his sister about.

There was a book section, an antique section, a section for kimonos and such, and even a section dedicated to the purifying of demons. Smiling wistfully Kagome made for the demon banishing section. "Hey, ingenious." Sota praised racing forward to look through what they had.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome stopped in front a table with cases of sutras and magical purifying salts. Also on the table was an old looking book that looked as if it would fall apart even if super glue had been used to hold it together. Curiosity getting the better of her, Kagome reached out and grabbed the book, careful not to injure it anymore than time already had. Upon opening the book she found that it had dates going back as far as five hundred years ago. Looking closely at the words, her eyes widened realizing just what she held in her hands. Looking around to make sure no one else was looking and to find where Sota was, she turned her attention back to begin reading a passage.

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**My name is Higurashi, Kagome and today I am going to tell you a story. A story about how I met my wonderful mate Sesshōmaru.**_

Not being able to believe just the first sentence, Kagome snapped the book closed, though she did not place it back on the table. Disbelief had her close to hyperventilating until Sota tugged on her shirt, bringing her back to the physical world.

"You okay, sis?" he asked carefully. Forcing herself to smile, Kagome nodded.

"Did you find something for grandpa?" Kagome asked, forcing her brother's attention away from the book that she grasped so tightly. This plan of action worked and Sota immediately began explaining what he thought were the best choices of a gift for their history-obsessed grandfather.

None of what Sota said even reached Kagome's ears for she was too occupied with thinking about what she had just read.

'_My wonderful mate... Sesshōmaru?'_

* * *

"Hey, Inuyasha, when is Kagome going to come back?" Shippou asked.

The faces seated around the fire burning in the center of Kaede's hut, fell at hearing the innocent question of the young kitsune child. Tears gathered in Sango's eyes as she thought about her adopted sister sitting at home, blaming herself for what had happened.

The taijiya had sustained nothing more than a bruised neck and the few cuts that had been traded during her battle with the demon Kagome. Miroku carried and knot on his head but he often did after being beat by Hiraikotsu for groping. Inuyasha had no injuries and Kirara, having only been knocked out through pressure points, had also been uninjured.

"I don't know, Shippou." Inuyasha replied to Shippou's questioned. The young kit looked crestfallen.

"But she is coming back? Right?" the young kit furthered. Hearing this, Sango finally broke out into sobs, to which Miroku pulled her into his embrace to help soothe her sorrow.

"It's hard to say. After what happened, I don't think that it will be anytime soon." Inuyasha answered. Sango's sobs worsened and outside the rolling of thunder was heard to further dampen the mood of the once close friends.

'_Where are ye, Kagome?'_ Kaede wondered sadly, watching the poor demon slayer cry over the loss of what could have been her sister. Had things been different.

* * *

"Lord Sesshōmaru, are you okay?" asked the concerned voice of a young female child no older than nine. She was adorable with her long hair hanging to her hips, a small bit pulled into a side ponytail. She was dressed in an orange and yellow-checkered kimono without sandals or shoes of any type to cover her feet.

"Yes, Rin." Sesshōmaru replied calmly to his young human ward. Gently patting the top of her head, he turned and continued leading the young girl, the two-headed dragon, and his toad retainer through the woods and towards his home. His thoughts though, were far from how calm he acted in front of his young ward. Everywhere his mind ran, only to end right back where he started. Centered on Kagome, and what had happened that night in the forest when he had lost control over his demon so easily.

'_What spell did that woman cast upon me?! I've never lost control so quickly.'_ Sesshōmaru pondered. His thoughts would then move to how it felt to be so wrapped up in one woman. Never, had he felt so content as he had in that moment that he lost control. _'Her scent was most pleasing.'_

Growling angrily, he startled his companions, but did not notice as he continued to grow angry over that fact that whatever spell his brother's woman had cast, was still in effect. _'This cannot continue. I will see Rin __home before I head off to go find this woman. Her spell must be removed!'_ he nodded at his decision.

Soon he would rid his thoughts of whatever curse that his brother's woman had placed on him.

'_Soon I shall be rid of you, Kagome.'_

Or so the powerful Taiyōkai wished.

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

All I ask, is that you leave a review.

䷼ **Y**our **R**ude **A**wakening ䷼


	4. IV

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male but, she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

"Oh, sis, do you have to go back now? So soon?" Sota questioned, turning sad that he would once more have to be without his older sister. Kagome smiled sadly but nodded.

"Yeah. I left the others after some terrible things had been done and well, I think that it would be best if I go back now. I have some apologizing to do." Kagome explained.

"Okay." Sota sighed. "But you'll come back again? Soon, right?" he asked. Kagome smiled.

"Of course." she answered, pulling her brother into a loving hug. "I'll always come back."

"Sota," Azumi began carefully, wanting a chance to send her daughter off properly. Her son sighed, before finally pulling away from his sister. With one more look of sadness, Sota left to return to the warmth of their home. This left Azumi and Kagome alone, standing just outside of the well house. Both women were silent before Azumi finally broke down and pulled Kagome into a fierce but loving hug. Tears soaking through her daughter's t-shirt.

"Please be careful." Azumi pleaded. "And know that I will be expecting you home in two weeks. Just before your next transformation so that you may stay for a few days before you go back." she added sternly but sadly at the same time. Kagome nodded in her mother's hold.

"I promise, mama." she whispered, her own tears wetting the front of her mother's shirt.

Silence between mother and daughter passed for a moment longer before Kagome finally broke the hug to go back to her past and fix what had been destroyed.

"I love you, mama." Kagome said sincerely, turning with her bag on her shoulder. Sliding open the door, Azumi watched Kagome look back once before finally disappearing. She stood there for a minute longer, waiting, and once she saw the blue lights, she knew that her daughter was gone.

"I love you too, Kagome." Azumi whispered to the wind before heading into her home to comfort her son.

* * *

"Hey, what's that smell?" Shippou asked aloud, looking up at Inuyasha for an answer. "It almost smells like-"

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled, looking in the direction of the well. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Kaede, and Shippou all looked up in excitement. "She's back!" Inuyasha exclaimed, looking back with happiness in his eyes before taking off.

"Come on!" Shippou yipped, jumping up and following Inuyasha, the others not far behind.

"Kagome! Kagome! Kagome!" Shippou yelled the whole way to the well. They all arrived upon the scene of Kagome in a tight embrace with Inuyasha and if Shippou's noise was any good then he would know that there were tears coming from not only Kagome, but also Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry." Kagome whispered to Inuyasha. The hanyō only hugged her tighter.

"_I'm_ sorry." he whispered back to her.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked softly, breaking up the reunion between the hanyō and the woman that he loved with all his heart. Pulling away, Kagome was able to look past Inuyasha to find Sango and Miroku standing only a few feet away.

"Sango-chan," Kagome began turning her head down, ashamed of what had occurred between them. The sudden feel of a body against her own alerted her to the fact the Sango was now sobbing against her shoulder.

"Don't ever leave again! I don't care about what happened! It wasn't your fault!!" Sango assured firmly while still holding Kagome tight. Hearing her elder friend's words, Kagome broke down into tears as well. "I don't care." Sango whispered over and over still holding tight to Kagome.

"Sango-sama, we are all very glad that Kagome is back. But perhaps we should return to the village to discuss what happened in greater detail." Miroku offered.

"Okay." Sango relented, pulling back from Kagome but still holding onto the younger girls hand. "Come on." Sango urged, tugging gently on Kagome's hand. Kagome followed, glad that Sango didn't blame her for what happened.

* * *

"Please, milord, don't leave me with the demon child!!" Jaken pleaded as he threw his small body on the ground in front of the very much taller demon lord.

"Jaken, pick yourself up and shut up." Sesshōmaru demanded angrily, though you could not tell by his facial features.

Rin, the young human child and ward of Sesshōmaru, watched all this begging and pleading with a bright smile on her face that looked more devious and mischievous than it did innocent.

"Don't worry, Jaken-sama, I will not hurt you. I only want to play." Rin reassured the smaller toad demon. But behind her big brown eyes, Sesshōmaru could see that his young ward was plotting some serious revenge that involved lots of make-up, flowers, and pain. Catching Rin's gaze, Sesshōmaru nodded his consent to whatever she had planned, all the while ignoring Jaken's rambling.

"I shall return shortly after the new moon. Rin, you know the rules. Jaken if there is a hair misplaced on Rin's head, I will kill you." threatened Sesshōmaru firmly before turning and walking away.

"See you soon, my Lord!" Rin yelled after him. Jaken only wailed loudly. Ah-Un, who was off to the side watching everything with four careful eyes, shook his head in pity for Jaken.

* * *

"Kagome-chan, would you care to take a walk with me?" Sango offered as she stood from her place in front of the small fire in Kaede's hut.

"Okay." Kagome nodded. There was a bit of hesitancy when Sango held out her hand but knowing that her change would not come for another couple of weeks, she took her best friend's hand and smiled.

"We'll be back soon." Sango called over her shoulder as she led Kagome from the hut.

The two girls walked in silence for some time, the tension between them could be cut with a knife, it was so thick. Not wanting for the tension to force them apart any further, Sango stopped walking and in concern for her friend, Kagome stopped as well.

"S-Sango-chan?" Kagome questioned, worry filling her voice. However, that worry dissipated when Sango stepped forward and pulled the younger girl into a hug. When Kagome stiffened in fear, tears filled the demon slayer's eyes.

"Just relax, Kagome-chan. I know you won't hurt me." she whispered into the girl's ear.

"I already have. How can you forgive me?" Kagome answered quietly, still not relaxing into the hold.

"Because you're my friend, my sister, and I love you. Please, Kagome, forgive yourself." Sango pleaded. Kagome was now the one with tears gathering in her eyes, her shoulders shook with her silent sobs and Sango held Kagome tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Sango." Kagome cried, relaxing as she wrapped her arms around Sango's waist.

"It's okay, Kagome-chan. Everything is alright." Sango hushed, soothingly combing her fingers through Kagome's raven locks. "Everything is going to be alright."

"How do you know?" Kagome managed to ask through her sobs, skepticism heavily coating her voice and entire form.

"Because I believe in you, Kagome-chan. I believe that everything will work out because I have faith in you and your control over your inner demon. I know that you'll never hurt me." Sango answered calmly, truly believing in her own words. Even after all that happened, she still truly believed this. And realizing and recognizing the truth and faith in Sango's words, Kagome finally let herself relax completely, she too wanting to believe just like her Sango-chan. Just like her sister.

"Sango-chan." Kagome murmured quietly into the slayers warm embrace.

"Hm?" Sango answered in Kagome's ear, her head resting on the younger girl's shoulder.

"I-" nibbling on her bottom lip, Kagome sighed as she found her strength. " . . . I love you too, Sango-chan. Sango-ane."

"Good to hear, Kagome-imoto." Sango's said, smiling happily.

And just like that, they stayed. Holding each other in their comforting embrace.

* * *

'_What raw emotions coming from two very beautiful, strange, but beautiful women.'_ A curious pair of eyes gathered while watching the young women from the cover of the trees.

'_The younger one though, to have such a dark magic about her and continue to live, that, is truly amazing strength. And her transformations are quite fascinating as well. Perhaps I have found myself a new challenge.'_ A mischievous smirk slid across this golden-eyed figure's face. _'And perhaps a new playmate.'_ He added, his eyes taking in the very well defined form of the younger girl.

Upon deciding that this woman would be the source of his satisfaction, he also decided that following her would be the best way to get to know her every move before making his move on her to turn her into his "playmate". With a last smirk, he turned and leapt from the tree, to prepare for his long nights ahead.

Long silver hair cascaded behind him as he seemingly flew through the air with his swift stealth and speed.

'_I shall return for you, my pet.'_

* * *

Kagome tensed slightly in the hug as her sensitive ears picked up the delicate sound of a very well trained demon, leaping from a tree. Carefully scanning the area, she found no immediate threats but still thought it best that she and Sango return to the village, as it was getting late.

"Sango-ane, let's go back. I'm getting a little hungry." Kagome offered seeing the hurt look on Sango's face that cleared up as soon as she heard the words "hungry".

"Of course, Kagome-imoto. Let's go." Sango smiled, gently taking Kagome's hand into her own before leading her away. Kagome easily followed after her but found her thoughts centering on the fact of her ears, or rather, her senses. Her newly heightened senses.

Ever since her last transformation, she had been noticing things a lot easier. Like the way her sense of sound had heightened considerably to the point in which, she had found herself not wanting to go out during the day while in her time. The sounds were too loud and often gave her headaches that lasted even after a good nights sleep.

Her vision had also strengthened and while out one day with her mother, she had found that she had been able to read the road signs on the freeway from a mile away, clearly. Not only just a mile but three. Three miles ahead she had been able to see and clearly read the signs off to her mother.

While this had been helpful to her mother, Azumi Higurashi had also been quite concerned, especially when Kagome soon began complaining of the daylight being too strong and giving her headaches.

The final sense that Kagome had realized that had strengthened had been her sense of smell. And as soon as she had noticed it, she had locked herself away in her room, for the polluted smells of outside her home had nearly driven her mad.

Her scenting sense had grown so strong that Kagome had been able to pick up her brother's scent while he had been at school. The school being, a fifteen-minute ride away.

Kagome, had not mentioned this to anyone except for the heightened vision sense, and that was only to her mother.

'_Kami, what's happening to me?'_ she thought, quite frightened at the thought of her gaining senses like her demon self. _'Why is this happening?'_

"Ah, there ye girls are. We were beginning to worry about ye." Kaede said as she ushered both Kagome and Sango into her hut.

"Sorry." Sango offered as she sat down, pulling Kagome along with her.

"Feh, whatever. Just hurry up and eat so you both can get some rest." Inuyasha said in his usual caring manner.

"Gee, Inuyasha, how kind of you to worry about us." Sango smiled sarcastically. Inuyasha glared at the demon slayer and rolled his eyes before turning to snatch up Kagome's yellow pack and digging into its confines.

"Um, Inuyasha, what are you doing with Kagome-sama's bag?" Miroku asked carefully.

"None of your damn business, monk." Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, reaching forward to take her bag back.

"Ah, shut up, wench." growled the inu hanyō. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kaede and even Kirara winced when Kagome narrowed her eyes. However, they all relaxed, especially Kagome when she saw just what Inuyasha was pulling out of the bag. They were the items she and Sango used for taking their bath.

'_Oh... Inuyasha.'_ Kagome sighed, smiling gently at her friend. Making herself comfortable once more, she finished her dinner, all the while thinking pleasantly of her hanyō companion.

'_Maybe one day... when all of this is over, I'll ask him to-'_ A blush slowly warmed her young features as she thought deeply on just what she wanted to ask of Inuyasha.

"Kagome-sama." Miroku called in a sing-song voice and Kagome looked up to see a knowing look on the perverted monk's features.

"Miroku! Leave Kagome-imoto alone!" Sango demanded, lightly slapping the monk on the shoulder.

"Yes, Sango-san." Miroku sighed sadly.

* * *

"Are you sure that you'll be alright, Kagome-imoto?" Sango asked, worried out of her mind at the thought of leaving Kagome, but the young miko had asked for some time for her to gather her thoughts.

"I'm positive, Sango-ane. I'll be fine, I promise. And if I do need help then you and the other's are only a scream away." Kagome assured. She watched Sango nibble on her lower lip before sighing and nodding.

"Alright, Kagome-imoto, I'll see you back at the village then." Sango relented sadly, turning and making her way into the woods.

Once sure of Sango's leave, Kagome giggled. _'Silly Sango.'_ she sighed. _'It sure is good to be back here with them all. I guess I didn't realize just how much I would have missed them if I had stayed in my time. They all mean too much. And even after all that's happened, they still want me with them.'_ Glad to have this knowledge, Kagome lazily lounged in the hot spring.

However, no matter how good a mood, her worries caught up with her and she once more began thinking on her heightened senses. _'Now if only I knew what was going on with me. I don't want to worry the others but I'm scared, what if I become a demon even when it's not the night of the new moon? What would they say then? Would, . . would they hate me? It would mean even more struggles with my transforming more often. They might not want me then.'_ Her thoughts frightened her and tears filled her eyes as she entertained these thoughts more deeply and ran scenarios through her head.

It was then that Kagome remembered the words that Kikyō had conveyed to her during one of her last moments walking the earth, before Inuyasha had slain her. Thoughts similar as to what she was thinking now, had been what she was thinking before Kikyō had spoken to her.

* * *

"_You are right, reincarnation. You are going to become a demon more often than on just the night of the new moon." Kagome gasped as she recognized the voice._

"_Kikyō." she whispered. Both anger and fear filled her at the thought of the phantom priestess near by._

"_Oh no, I'm nowhere near you. I am simply speaking to you through our bond. We do after all share a soul." said Kikyō, her voice completely filling Kagome's mind and blocking out all other sounds._

"_Why? Why are you speaking to me now?" Kagome demanded, not at all thrilled at having the dark woman inside her head._

"_Oh, simply to answer your questions on why you have stronger senses." replied Kikyō. There was a pause and just as Kagome thought to speak, Kikyō spoke up once more. "And to confirm your worst fears. The fears of your friends abandoning you. They will, no doubt, do so for your transformations will no longer have any set date as to when they will happen. You will transform randomly at any moment during an time of day or night." she added._

"_Why?" Kagome whispered. "Why are you so cruel? Why do you hate me?" she asked._

"_Because you dare to take away from me all that I accomplished during my time and then gain more! I'll not be out done by you! You are second to me. Always have been and always will be." Kikyō said cruelly, only too happy when Kagome began crying._

"_You won't win. My friends, Inuyasha, we'll find a way to stop this curse." Kagome tried to be firm, but Kikyō was not swayed at all in her cruel torture._

"_There is no way to stop the transformation. You'll continue to gain your demonic attributes until you are completely demon, and then, Inuyasha will never want you. You won't be able to see the shards, and that is all he wants from you. Once you've lost that, you will have lost everything. You'll mean nothing to him. Nothing. Just give up, Kagome. This is the full power of my hatred, of my curse upon you. You must suffer. You must die. And you will regret the day you ever laid eyes upon my Inuyasha." Kikyō explained quite thoroughly._

_Listening to Kagome break down, was exactly what she had been looking for, and now that her reincarnation was sobbing uncontrollably, Kikyō left her to wallow in misery. There was, after all, no need to kick the poor girl while she was down. There was nothing else to be done or said._

* * *

'_She was right. Kikyō was right. They'll hate me. They'll leave me. And Inuyasha does only use me to see the shards. They never wanted me, Kagome. They never even saw me. They only wanted to use me to get to Naraku.'_ she wailed miserably. _'Kami I am such a baka. Why didn't I see this before?'_

"Why does a beauty such as yourself, look as if her whole world has fallen apart?" a new, sensual sounding voice asked.

Kagome gasped, and dried her eyes before scanning the clearing for where the voice had come from. When she could not find anyone, "Where are you? Come out!" she demanded.

The voice chuckled before the trees branches in front of the young miko shook, leaving in their wake a very handsome kitsune male.

His golden eyes gazed deeply into her own and seemed to scream not only mischievousness and playfulness as all kitsune seemed to, but a lust as well. He was dressed immaculately in white garbs, the top looking like a tank top from her time, only very loose, and leaving much for the imagination. His pants were white Chinese styled pants that left a gap in the back for his tail of silky silver fur that hung just to his feet that were dressed with white kung-fu styled shoes.

Long silver hair that hung past his waist, swayed with the gentle breeze in the air and silver triangular fox ears sat atop his head, twitching every so often at the sounds of the forest.

When he smiled at her, she could she the straight, pearly white teeth with sharp fangs in his mouth. A pink tongue ever so teasingly running along his sharp canines as if to arouse something within the young Kagome.

"Who are you?" she asked, once she had caught her breath and found her voice. Kagome was amazed to hear that her own voice sounded as sensual as this kitsune's.

The male chuckled once more and bowed deeply before responding politely to her question. "Yōko Kurama at your service, my beautiful little vixen."

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Alright, I greatly appreciate the reviews you leave me. And now I ask of you this, leave more reviews so that I might appreciate you all more, and see the need to continue writing for this fan fiction.

And with this, I leave you all until next time…

Yours Sincerely,

䷼ **Y**our **R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	5. V

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male but, she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

"Yōko Kurama, huh?" Kagome asked, pondering on her luck at having a run in with this gorgeous kitsune.

'_What am I thinking? I need to be worried about my friends, not some kitsune Kami that seems to find me interesting.'_ she reprimanded herself. Her thoughts quickly returned to how she would deal with her friends, or rather the people she was traveling with, when the time came for her random transformations.

"Hm, there it is again. That sorrow that seems to completely engulf you." Yōko's voice said, breaking through to her. "What is it that you are thinking about?" he asked, stepping closer towards the spring and keeling to be at a closer level with Kagome.

"Nothing that concerns you." Kagome replied with a glare, feeling very much as if Yōko was invading her personal space. And the way he was watching her, Kagome shivered at the thought.

"I see." Yōko drawled, nodding in understanding. "So it has nothing to do with the fact that you are cursed to turn into a lusting demon each new moon?" Kagome gasped.

"How . . . how do you know about that?" she asked, fear filling her voice. She watched as the kitsune male simply smirked.

"Ah my sweet, Kagome, there are many things that I have learned about you while watching you for these past few months." His golden eyes seemed to laugh at her.

"You've been spying on me? Stalking me?!" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Well, I wouldn't call it spying . . or stalking, rather, gathering information on the priestess who has rumors about her everywhere I seemed to go." Replied Yōko calmly.

"You're here for the Shikon, aren't you?" she asked, her hand quickly reaching up to hide the shards from the demon's view. Yōko only chuckled.

"I shall admit that at first, it was indeed the shikon that I had been after. You see I am a collector of sorts. Bandit, thief, call me what you will, but I have found a joy in collecting beautiful things. However, upon seeing you for the first time, I realized that the shikon wasn't as interesting as the priestess who guarded it. And on the fateful day that your incarnate cursed you, I found myself even more enraptured by you." explained Yōko. Kagome could only listen to the words he spoke and blush at the many compliments he had given her during his poetic speech.

"O-Oh." she said softly. Yōko only smiled at her. "So, you don't want the shikon shards."

"No." Yōko confirmed shaking his head, his gorgeous silver locks swaying gently with the movement of his head.

Kagome sighed and nodded. "Well then," she began, pausing for a moment as she was unsure of what she should say next. But when Yōko stood and began to undress so that he could join her, she knew exactly what to say. "HEY! Just what do you think you're doing, you pervert?!"

"Please, my dear, I have had a long day and simply wish to share a relaxing bath with a beautiful woman." Yōko seemed to ask. The compliment he paid to Kagome helped in his favor and there was no more protest on Kagome's end at the idea of having a male kitsune stranger share a bath with her. However, she did do her best to scoot as far away as possible from Yōko, to which he only laughed.

'_Wow, his laugh is so . . . mmmm.'_ Kagome thought dreamily, sighing softly.

The two sat in silence for several moments before Yōko made the first move to end the somewhat uncomfortable quiet.

"The dark priestess, Kikyō, is wrong. Your friends will not abandon you." he said and Kagome could tell that he was being most serious.

"And how do you know?" she asked solemnly, her brown eyes, with the slight undertone of her demon's blood red, gazed sadly down at the water's surface and into her reflection.

"Because I've been stalking you, so of course I would see that they care too much about you to up and leave you as you are imagining." Yōko replied. He smirked when Kagome's head snapped up to look him in the eyes.

"So they," she paused, unsure if she had heard him correctly. Yōko, though he knew this was a serious subject, decided to approach from a different angle.

"Dearest Kagome, you have much to learn on reading body language and the hidden meaning behind all that people say. Many times, in just the few months that I followed your group, did I see how much you all have come to love each other. There is a bond between all of you that not even this curse can break." he assured calmly.

Kagome simply watched him for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not he was telling the truth. Finding what she needed to see in his eyes, she allowed a smile to overcome her and fill her with happiness.

"Thank you, Yōko."

"You are welcome." he nodded. "However," he began again, once more feigning serious. "Should you need anything or I be wrong, which I highly doubt I am, then you'll know where to find me." he finished, offering his help. A curious twinkle in his eyes.

Blushing at his words, "But I barely even know you. Why should I come to you for help?" Kagome asked, feeling quite playful as she taunted this very sexy kitsune before her.

Chuckling and hearing the playfulness in her words, Yōko stalked closer to Kagome and pinned her in between his arms, against the earthen wall of the spring.

"Because," he whispered, leaning down so that he was level with her ear. Licking at it seductively, he continued. "I am known to be very comforting, sensitive and understanding. Quite rare to find in a male, wouldn't you say?" he asked slipping in a quick kiss on the side of her neck before pulling away and leaning back down for another kiss, only this time, on her lips.

"OKAY!" Kagome said loudly, completely ruining the moment as she turned to try and get away from the male demon that was coming on to her. Quickly dressing, she turned to Yōko and said a quick, nervous good-bye before turning to leave.

"Kagome," Yōko called after her. "You know where to find me." Chuckling at the thought of causing another blush to spread across her features, Yōko Kurama sank comfortably into the waters.

"Mmm, what a find."

* * *

"Um, I have to say something that I think you all should know." Kagome said softly.

She was sitting on top of her sleeping bag, Shippou in her arms as she gently stroked his fur to ease him into sleep. The memory of her time alone in the hot spring, gone from her mind as she prepared herself to tell her friends what she had been dreading to tell them.

Upon hearing her words, Sango, Miroku, Kaede and Inuyasha watched their young miko carefully, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"What is it, Kagome-imoto?" Sango prodded gently when the younger girl did not say anything for several moments.

"Oh," Kagome nodded. "Right, well. I've kinda been unsure of this but I guess now with everything going on, I should tell you."

"Tell us what, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked.

"Well see, before Kikyō died, she told me something. Something about the curse." Kagome began slowly, still unsure if she should tell her friends. But remembering Yōko's comforting words back at the spring, she steeled her resolve.

"What did Kikyō say to ye, Kagome? Did she tell ye how to break the curse?" inquired Kaede. Kagome flinched slightly before shaking her head.

"No, she said that there was no way to break the curse." Kagome answered. "And that's not all she said." she added, her posture shrinking slight at the thought of what was to come.

"What else did she say?" asked Inuyasha, curious as to why an underlying fear had filled Kagome's naturally pleasing scent.

"She," Kagome paused, as tears gathered into her eyes. "She said that I would no longer transform on just the night of the new moon. She said that it would happen at random times. She also said that eventually, even if I didn't mate with a demon during my transformation, I would completely end up demon anyways." Here, she paused once more and quickly reached up to wipe away the tear that had slipped down her cheek before continuing once more. "And at first I tried not to believe her, but after my last transformation, I began to notice that my sense of smell, sight, and sound had improved. So I guess that she wasn't lying."

At this pause, everything turned quiet. The only sound, was that of the fire crackling.

"How long have you know about this Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, his presence as calm as ever.

"Not this last transformation but the one before that. A week before then actually." she replied.

"Kagome-i, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Sango asked, her brown orbs pinning Kagome with a look of hurt. Kagome bit her lip when she recognized that Sango had refrained from calling her Kagome_-imoto_.

"I didn't want to believe it myself and I was afraid of what would happen if I did tell you. I know that we're all tired of this stupid curse and I didn't want-" a fuming hanyō interrupted her.

"For us to abandon you? You stupid girl! We wouldn't have done that, but at least we would have had more time to find some type of solution to this new problem. But NO you were too stupid and untrusting of us to even realize how much we cared." Inuyasha ranted.

"INUYASHA!" Kaede said, raising her voice in complete horror at the words that had come from his mouth. Sango and Miroku sat completely still, also shocked at what had just transpired.

'_Oh my Kami.'_

"Kagome-imoto," Sango began but was unable to say anymore for Kagome had gently placed Shippou into her sleeping bag before standing.

"I'm sorry." she murmured, her tears splashing against the wooden floors before she raced from the hut.

"KAGOME!" Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha and Kaede called after the girl but she would not stop. The three traveling companions took off after her but it would seem that Kagome's senses were not the only things that she had gained from her demon self, but the ability to move swifter as she ran.

'_I knew it. I knew that they wouldn't want me after I told them.'_ Kagome told herself as she raced to where she could scent Yōko. Though he had been teasing her when he offered his company, she knew that his words were true.

Reaching the clearing, she found it to be empty but upon closer inspection she found a cave off to the right of where she had entered the field.

"Yōko?" she called out, her voice quivering as she held back her tears.

"Kagome?" the sensual voice she knew, came from behind her and she turned to find none other than the very kitsune demon that she had met only a couple hours ago.

Seeing her tears, he knew then that things had gone horribly wrong for her. "I see." he nodded. "Come then, let me lead you inside where we will be safe from the rain." In the distance they both could hear the rumble of thunder.

"Mm-hm." Kagome nodded, her lower lip trembling as she forced her tears back until she was safely hidden away from the outside world.

As Yōko led her to the entrance of the cave, she could see that there wasn't much room. Two feet into the cave, it ended. But when Yōko led her to the back of the cave, she figured that as a "collector", he probably had sometime of secret passage that hid his treasures and home from all others. There wasn't much to the veil and they both simply walked through the wall to find a simple layout of a regular village home. Off to the side, Kagome spotted two other passages. One passage led to what she could only guess as the room where he stored all the stolen artifacts. The second was the same passage that she was now being guided through, it opened to what could be called bedroom. Gently, Yōko led her to a futon in the center of the room.

"You stay here and get some rest. I'll return shortly." said Yōko softly once Kagome was comfortably settled on the bed.

Panicking, Kagome reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him from going anywhere. "Please, don't leave me too." she whispered brokenly.

Turning back around, Yōko found himself gazing down at a completely torn and broken woman. A woman whom had lost everything only because her friends had been unable to accept another part of a curse that had been placed upon her by her jealous incarnate.

"Kagome,"

"Please?" she pleaded again.

Powerless to deny her the comfort she so needed, Yōko nodded and settled himself on the bed next to her before pulling her into his lap.

Giving her a moment to cry until she could cry no more, Yōko soothingly rubbed circles on her back. _'Befriending this woman is more work than I anticipated. I do hope that the reward is well worth the trouble.'_ He thought to himself, waiting until Kagome had calmed before he tried getting her to tell him what happened.

"Now then, why don't you tell me what happened. I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards." he said, offering an ear to listen to her story.

* * *

The room was quite and the only sounds were of the light breathing coming from two figures comfortably laid out on a silken sheet covered futon.

"How is it that I feel so comfortable with you when I haven't even known you an entire day?" she murmured as she snuggled deeper into the warm hold of her kitsune rescuer. His deep laughter resonated throughout her entire being, sending shivers up and down her spine.

"That is up to you to figure out, my dearest. However, would you be frightened if I told you the same?" he asked in turn. Kagome smiled as she slightly pulled back from his hold to look up into his golden gaze.

"That's not true, you've been stalking me for several months so you must know everything about me." Kagome said simply. Again Yōko chuckled.

"It is true that I have been watching you for several months and learned a great deal about you, however, watching from afar and being in your presence are two different learning experiences. And my little vixen, I must say that I find being in your presence to be the much more educational of the two." Yōko easily replied.

"Oh." Kagome blushed as she shrunk back into his strong hold, as if to hide from her embarrassment.

The two lay quietly for a moment more before Kagome spoke up again.

"Thank you, for being there for me. I feel so much better." she thanked, pulling back again to look up at his sinfully beautiful features.

"You are most welcome, Kagome." he whispered, locking gazes with the woman in his arms. With a delighted smirk, he listened, as the beat of her heart took on a more furious tune and her breathing picked up in pace.

"W-what?" she asked as yet another blush spread across her features.

"Well, is it just me, or do you seem to blush quite a bit when you're around me?" asked Yōko slyly.

"I- . . I don't know what you're talking about." Kagome huffed, forcing her gaze from his own.

"Hm, . . . alright." he sighed with a slight shrug, closing his eyes.

'_Aw, come on Kagome. Just do it already.'_ The young miko yelled at herself. Sucking in a deep breath, "Yōko?" she asked once more.

"Yes?" his ever so soothing and sensual voice answered as he opened his eyes and looked up at her with a knowing twinkle in his golden orbs. However, whatever he had been thinking, had not been what Kagome was thinking of doing as she leaned down and gave to Yōko what was supposed to be a simple thank you kiss.

"Kagome," Yōko murmured when his sweet little vixen pulled back from her gentle kiss.

"Uh-huh?" she answered, carefully watching for his reaction.

"My sweet Kagome." He answered as he leaned in to show her what a real kiss was like.

"Mm!" Kagome moaned, allowing Yōko's waiting tongue into her mouth. "Yōko!" she whispered trying to pull back but this, the determined fox would not allow.

Sucking her lower lip into his mouth to nibble on, Yōko made sure that it was swollen before releasing it and pulling back from the very thorough kiss. Opening his golden eyes, he fixed Kagome with one of his sexiest looks to which the young girl shivered in delight.

"Yōko, I've… I've never," she blushed, unable to finish what it was she wanted to say.

"Hm, I've snatched myself an innocent priestess. And it would seem that she is very willing." He drawled seductively. Running a clawed hand up her thigh, Yōko was rewarded with a delightful little moan. "Very willing indeed." He purred, leaning in to cover her neck with little kisses and nips.

"Oh." Kagome gasped. _'What is he doing? Oh, but it feels so good. But my friends- right, I don't have any friends. What if he's using me too? Maybe, oh, maybe I should just . . . mm . . . yeah . . Wow he smells __really good . .'_

"Kagome, dearest of mine, are you sure that you are willing to see what it is that you left behind at the hot spring." Asked Yōko, wanting to be very sure that his gem knew what she wanted. He did after all want to be sure that he woke up to find her still there in the morning. She wouldn't be much of a playmate if she only stuck around for one night.

"Mm-hm." Kagome hummed, not at all trusting her voice.

"Tell me, say with words what I need to hear, my little jewel." Yōko requested.

Sighing, Kagome shifted her body and looked at Yōko before very seriously stating, "Yes, I want to see what I left at the spring earlier." she whispered.

All thoughts of earlier with her friends, erased from her mind and thoughts of what would come tomorrow, nowhere near her passion fogged brain.

"Very well, this Yōko Kurama shall show you a good time."

* * *

"Did ye find her?" the worried voice of the aged Kaede asked. She stood at the doorway of her hut and looked upon three very sad figures as they slowly made their way into her hut and sat down. "Well?" Kaede prodded, turning frustrated.

"No, we did not, Kaede-sama." Miroku answered for himself, Sango and Inuyasha.

"We looked everywhere and Inuyasha traced her scent to a clearing before it just vanished." Sango added. "Inuyasha even went to her time but there was no luck there either. Kaede-sama, what if Kagome-imoto never returns?"

"Then it is ye own fault." Kaede snapped. "For you and Inuyasha to react so harshly, especially after her returning from a horrible end to her last transformation-" she left her though unfinished, too angered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Kagome-sama never returned." finished Miroku. He watched sadly as Sango began crying. Looking over at Inuyasha, he found the hanyō staring blankly into the dwindling fire.

"Inuyasha," Miroku began drawing Inuyasha's golden gaze onto his form. However, before Miroku had time to speak again, Inuyasha had left the hut leaving Miroku to sigh.

'_Inuyasha, this is your fault. However, you recognize that and so I only pray to Kami that Kagome will return again. I do not think that you would be able to survive the loss of Kikyō, twice, and then Kagome-sama.'_

* * *

The next morning arrived and Inuyasha had returned from where he had taken off to the night before.

It was a quiet morning as the group, minus Kagome, sat around a fire and ate a quiet breakfast. Shippou had yet to awaken so they had not had to explain where Kagome was. Although, by the change in his breathing, Inuyasha could tell that they would soon have a heartbroken Shippou to deal with.

"I shall explain to Shippou what happened after he is awake. You all should take this time to search for Kagome with the light of day on ye side." Kaede offered calmly.

"Thank you, Kaede-sama." Miroku nodded appreciatively. The older miko merely pushed them from her hut, Miroku being the only one not to be shoved.

'_Please find her. Young Shippou can not lose another mother.'_ Kaede prayed silently, turning around to clean up the dishes and prepare a bowl for Shippou, who was now awake and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning, Kaede!" he chirped happily. His emerald eyes sparkling with mischief.

* * *

Yōko Kurama awoke to the sounds of quiet sobbing at his side and quickly remembered all that had happened yesterday, complete with the events of last night with his little gem.

'_Why is she crying? Was I that bad last night?'_ deciding to see what it was that had taken his satisfied and happy miko and turned her into a once more depressed young girl, Yōko turned on his side and began rubbing soothing circles along Kagome's back before placing a gentle kiss atop her head.

"Kagome," he began softly. "What is it that has upset you again?" he asked. Yōko waited until her crying had calmed before asking her once more what was wrong.

"Nothing. I just . . I just can't believe my friends would me hate me so much. I didn't mean to keep them in the dark and it's not that I don't trust them, but everyone was already so tired and I just couldn't-"

"Shh, would you feel better if we took a relaxing bath before going to see your friends? Perhaps they all over reacted and regret deeply what transpired." Yōko asked after pulling back from the soft kiss he had given her to quiet what was soon to turn into another round of sobs.

"Yōko, could we?" Kagome asked sniffling, wanting very much to believe that over reactions had been what really occurred last night.

"Of course, but I'll be wanting something in return." he replied, a sly and seductive smile sliding on to his sexy features. Kagome blushed, immediately realizing what he meant.

"Y-Yōko!" Kagome said, abashed at the thought of having a repeat of last night.

'_Although, it was fun.'_ she reflected.

"Kagome, my little vixen, I'll be needing an answer." said Yōko, interrupting her thoughts.

"Al-alright." she nodded, blush growing even brighter.

"Good." he smirked, rolling over and settling himself between her legs. "Shall we begin?" he asked, leaning down to nip at the mark he had made on her neck.

The mark of a mate.

'_Now, no one but Yōko Kurama shall touch this masterpiece.'_

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

MWUHAHAHAH!

I have finished another chapter. Though I feel as if there isn't something quite right with it yet. I can't figure it out but that could take years so I'm giving it to you now.

Perhaps you all have some ideas on this chapter. Maybe?

When I figure it out, I'll most definitely revise but for now, it shall just be. I also ask that you please excuse any grammatical errors. I do use Microsoft Word and periodically check, however, it is Microsoft Word on a Mac computer. So, yeah . . .

Onto the next matter.

I shall begin chapter six, but I think I have hit a dead end in the creativity.

. . .

OH WAIT! I've just had a spark of inspiration. Review and my inspiration just might continue to flow.

Sayonara for now,

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	6. VI

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male but, she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

**QUICK NOTE:** I know that a lot of you are more than likely confused at this new turn of events, especially involving Kagome's diary, Sesshōmaru as a mate, and recently being claimed Yōko's mate. However, this chapter and chapter seven will explain everything. So just hold tight, and soon you will know why everything is the way it is.

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

Sesshōmaru sighed mentally as he watched the village bellow. His brother and two friends, the slayer and monk, had just returned from their second search for their lost miko. They had once again come up short and returned to the old miko without their precious friend.

'_Perhaps the half breed will learn to curve his temper.'_ Thinking a moment more on this, the demon lord realized that it was simply too much to ask of the poor hanyō. He had killed one woman he loved because of his temper. What was another? _'But before he kills this, Kagome, I'll need her to remove this spell she has cast upon me.'_ A glare of hatred formed on his regal and sophisticated features.

Deciding that he would grace his brother with a visit, Sesshōmaru stood from his place on a tree branch and stretched his lightly aching muscles before jumping and leisurely making his way into the now bustling village.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she slowly walked the used pathway leading to the village of the Priestess Kaede. Her thoughts were running rampant through her head, the beginnings of a great headache forming.

'_Oh, what am I going to say? "Hi everyone! Sorry I ran away and fucked some kitsune yōkai stranger after you yelled at me over keeping a secret about my curse that has already stressed us enough." Keh, yeah right.'_ was the main thought of the moment. _'And speaking of kitsune yōkai strangers, where is Yōko? He was right behind me a second ago.'_

Stopping on the pathway, Kagome turned around and found nothing but forestry. Lifting her nose to scent the air, she couldn't find any trace of the sneaky fox, and worry filled her.

"Miss me?" whispered a husky voice right in her ear. Startled, Kagome snapped around to find Yōko standing there with a pleased smirk on his face. Gasping for air and clutching at her chest, Kagome glared at the cocky kitsune.

"You have some nerve." she snapped angrily. A perfectly sculpted black eyebrow lifted as if to mock her and Kagome huffed as she pushed past Yōko to continue along the worn trail.

'_Ah yes, she was well worth the trouble.'_ Yōko nodded to himself as he watched sway of his mate's hips. Licking his lips excitedly, he watched as the breeze lifted her short skirt just enough so he could see-

"Well, aren't you coming?" she called back to him and Yōko sighed, before continuing after the jewel he had claimed for his own just recently.

'_Though, explaining to her that she is mine, eh, might present a slight hitch in my plans. After having seen the way she reacts after Inuyasha and Kōga go at it…'_ he cringed at the thought. _'Well this shall only serve as another rewarding challenge.'_

* * *

"You! What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded, a hand tightly gripping onto the hilt of his precious Tetsusaiga.

"Is it really wise to demand anything of your elder brother and lord?" Sesshōmaru asked calmly, fixating his half brother with his infamous look of boredom.

"I don't give a fuck who you are! What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha persisted, watching carefully as his brother slightly nodded his head as if he had just decided upon something.

"Inuyasha, just wait. We're inside Kaede-sama's hut and Sesshōmaru shows no signs of hostility. Just think for a moment, would you?!" said Miroku exasperatedly, as he stood.

"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed. "Whatever."

"You should listen to the monk, Inuyasha. He is surprisingly wise." said Sesshōmaru, matter-of-factly.

"Keh!" was all Inuyasha had to say.

"What brings ye here, Lord Sesshōmaru?" asked Kaede calmly.

"I am here to speak with the young miko. After our last encounter, I merely wish to ask what spell she cast to cause this Sesshōmaru to lose control so quickly." he replied.

"Spell, I see." murmured Kaede, a nod of her head indicated that she understood.

"It was not a spell that Kagome-sama cast upon you." Miroku corrected.

"Oh, do explain monk."

"Well you see, Kagome-sama has had a curse placed upon her. It was done by the undead priestess, Kikyō. Her incarnate. It is a spell that causes Kagome-sama to transform every new moon into a demon, a demon in heat. And during that time, Kagome-sama is not at all aware of what occurs." Miroku explained.

Sesshōmaru calmly watched the faces of all that resided in the hut. There seemed to be no signs of lying and so the demon lord simply nodded. "Interesting enough. Though you still have not told me where your miko is." he repeated, his golden eyes devoid of any indication as to what he thought about their tale.

This somewhat concerned Miroku and Kaede, as it gave them no insight as to how to keep the yōkai from becoming frustrated and angry.

"They made her leave." young Shippou announced suddenly as he stood from his place beside Kirara and Kaede. Sesshōmaru looked down at the young fox kit with a slender black eyebrow lifted in curiosity.

"They?" he asked simply.

"Yeah! Stupid Inuyasha and Sango got upset when Kagome told them something new about her curse and yelled at her." Shippou explained. Sango and Inuyasha both winced at the young fox's words.

Miroku quickly spoke up to lighten the harshness of Shippou's words. "Kagome-sama revealed to us that there was no way to remove the curse, and after a certain amount of time, she would eventually end up as a yōkai. Even if we were able to keep her from mating." he began. "However, Lady Sango and Inuyasha responded in a manner that only upset the already delicate Kagome. She just returned to us after nearly killing Lady Sango during her last transformation, and so we were all treading on light ground with each other. Something was bound to happen." finished the monk, dismissing the glare that Shippou sent his way.

"Hm, I always knew you were slow half-breed." Sesshōmaru said coldly, throwing salt into an already irritated wound. However, the Lord of the West did not get the reaction he had been prepared for. Inuyasha simply bowed his head and took the insult.

'_Curious.'_ thought Sesshōmaru. "As interesting as your story is, I need to speak with your priestess to confirm."

* * *

The aged priestess watched knowingly as the demon lord sat calmly upon a large boulder just outside of the fence designed to designate where the herb garden was inside the village.

There was tension in his entire being as he sat, watching for signs of the miko that had yet to appear in the village.

It was now midday and Kagome still had not returned. Though this troubled even herself, Kaede knew it would do no one any good if everyone gave up on their chores to wait for the missing girl to return. Which was likely to never happen after what occurred yesterday. So, the wise Kaede had decided to tend to her garden of herbs, the demon lord following.

'_Smarter than his brother though he may be, he still is ignorant of the good of emotions, just like Inuyasha.'_ she wondered to herself, deciding to take a break and speak with the demon.

Kaede knew exactly what it was that was troubling the young lord and why he had decided to wait for the arrival of their young Kagome. _'He even goes so far as to think it a spell or curse.'_ she chuckled to herself.

Stopping just beside the boulder and facing the direction his chilly golden gaze watched, Kaede began her disguised lecture. "What is it that ails ye, Sesshōmaru-sama?" she asked, not at all feeling fear as he turned his cold glare upon her.

"And what, priestess, makes you think that this Sesshōmaru is troubled?" he demanded. His chilling voice forcing all that dared to try to eavesdrop, leave the area and provide the miko and yōkai with privacy.

"Though ye try and hide it behind a look of anger and indifference, I can sense that ye thoughts are troubled. I am a trained priestess after all." Kaede replied calmly, turning her good eye upon the demon.

Sesshōmaru, however, simply glared at the woman before fixing his glare upon the woods once more. "Leave me." he commanded harshly.

Before leaving the young lord to his peace, and returning to her herb garden, Kaede spoke wisely. "Did ye ever stop to think that the spell Kagome cast upon ye, might be one of love? Something she has no control over, even after she transformed. Perhaps it is ye, Sesshōmaru-sama, that has cast this love spell upon himself. Thinking enough about our young Kagome will do that."

And with that, Kaede was gone, leaving the demon lord with slightly widened golden eyes and thoughts racing.

* * *

"Yōko!" Kagome called out, causing several heads to turn in the direction of which her voice sounded from.

"Did you hear that?"

"Sounds like Lady Kagome."

"She's back?"

"Lady Kagome has returned to us once more."

"Never fails."

"I know."

"Her trust and love for her friends is almost to a fault."

"I know."

"Even after they continuously hurt her, she always comes back."

"Un."

"They truly are blessed by the Kamis to have her loyalty."

"Yes, that is most certain."

"They don't deserve it."

"Not at all."

Kagome winced at the words that assaulted her newly sharpened sense of hearing. The words wounded her heart with their truth. Even the villagers, whom her and her friends rarely paid attention to, seemed to see right through to all their faults. Though what the villagers said was partially true, they forgot so easily of all the stress that their fabled group of travelers was under. The stress that the very loyal Kagome's curse caused.

"Think nothing of what they say, Koishii." Yōko whispered gently into his mate's ear. Feeling the tension in her body melt away pleased the silver kitsune and he quickly fell into step with his most prized possession, to make sure that she did not pay attention to the words that the villagers spoke.

Somewhat alarmed at the pull he felt to comfort her, Yōko reached out one of his clawed hands to tenderly grasp Kagome's hand. Seeing her stunned looked, he merely winked at her before pulling her further into the village.

"Lady Kagome!" many of the villagers cheered, upon seeing the young woman. Kagome smiled pleasantly for all of them and waved as she continued through the masses to stop doubtfully in front of the hut belonging to the Priestess Kaede.

Kagome turned curious eyes to Yōko's form when he stepped forward and slid a single white rose into her hair, behind her ear. "What's that for?" she asked, reaching up a hand to finger the rose gently.

"That rose, is one that I have personally grown in my garden. I have imbued it with my energy, allowing it to release a scent that calms and soothes." Yōko replied.

"You invented this rose?" Kagome asked in awe.

"Well, I am a silver kitsune. My specialty is working with plants, you know." he replied with a smirk at the spark of delight in his mate's brown orbs.

"Wow! That's amazing." she murmured, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath to allow the flower's effects to calm her already stressed nerves. Feeling the scent wash over her like a waterfall, Kagome opened her eyes, determination shining brightly.

'_No matter what, I'll be okay.'_ she thought to herself, reaching out to peel back the straw door.

Seven pairs of eyes all snapped to her direction, six of them widening with surprise.

"KAGOME!" Sango and Shippou yelled out simultaneously. Not knowing what happened nor how, Kagome was suddenly pulled into the hut and seated in between Kaede and Sango, Shippou cuddling into her chest, and Kirara nuzzling her leg. Miroku sat opposite of her with a joyful smile on his normally perverted features. Three pairs of golden eyes all watched her, each with varying levels of gratefulness.

"Um, guys, why is Sesshōmaru here?" Kagome asked curiously, cautiously watching the inu yōkai.

"Wait, wait, wait! First, who is that?" Sango asked, directing everyone's attention to the third golden-eyed figure.

"Ahem. Hello." Yōko greeted, smiling slyly at everyone. They all noticed the mischievous look in his eyes and had to wonder at what he was going to say when his mouth opened once more. "I, am Yōko Kurama, the lovely Higurashi Kagome's mate." He added with casual smugness.

"MATE!" roared everyone.

"Yōko! You've got some serious explaining to do." Kagome demanded, her eyes narrowed with anger.

* * *

"I can't believe you fucking fucked a strange hentai kitsune yōkai!" Inuyasha roared angrily, red slowly sleeping into his vision as he panted furiously.

Excluding Sesshōmaru and Yōko, everyone scoot back away from Inuyasha, fearing for his transformation. However, both of the previously stated demons narrowed their eyes at the hanyō. Neither of them pleased with his outburst and whom his anger was directed towards.

"Silence, half-breed." Sesshōmaru demanded calmly, standing at the ready should he have to step in and force his younger half-brother's demon blood back into balance with his human blood.

"Kagome-imoto? Did you really mate with… him?" Sango asked, unsure of what to think of Kagome and the kitsune Yōko, but still not wanting a repeat of last night.

Blushing brightly at all the eyes on her, Kagome's gaze fell to the floor below, lost as to what she could possibly say to assure her friends that she had not turned into some kind of common whore looking for comfort in any male every time things went wrong in her life. "Uh, … …yeah?" she answered, with a nervous shrug.

"YOU STUPID-"

"Inuyasha!" Kaede quickly bellowed over Inuyasha's own loud voice as he began his rant anew. "Perhaps ye should rethink what it is ye would like to say to Kagome. How she came back to us was, after all, caused by harsh words from ye, if ye will remember last night." At these words, both Sango and Inuyasha fell into an uncomfortable silence and shared a look between each other.

'_It's our fault that Kagome in now bound to this yōkai.'_ they both thought, turning their own gazes to the wooden floor below.

"Kaede-sama, please don't remind them. I don't believe it to be their fault and neither should any of you. If anyone's fault, it should be my own and mine alone. They were simply shocked and I should have remembered that last night before I went looking for Yōko, but, I suppose I forgot." Here the young miko shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry." she offered, smiling brightly at them all, completely dismissing all of the recent events.

Again, Kagome blushed and looked down as everyone watched her closely as if in awe. Well all except for the yōkai lord, Sesshōmaru. Speaking of which, said taiyōkai, though he did not look such, was as amazed as everyone else at how the young miko took the blame for everything and simply brushed it off, deciding to not think on it any longer.

'_Such . . . . purity.'_ he wondered, astounded that a human could hold such a quality. Growing a new respect for this woman held her in a light that few other's had in his eyes. It was then that Sesshōmaru decided it was about time he begin showing this woman the respect that she was so deserving of. The respect that no one else had showed her.

"So, Sesshōmaru," Kagome began, forcing herself to relax under everyone's gazes. "What brings you to our side of town?" she asked, her brown orbs watching the very regal Sesshōmaru turn his attention to her.

"It is of no importance now, Priestess." Sesshōmaru replied.

"Oh, okay then." Kagome nodded, smiling slightly.

"However, your so called friends, pack if you will," Sesshōmaru began, drawing the miko's attention back to him. "are undeserving of your affections and presence. You'd be wise to leave your pack as they will only further misuse you."

Several gasps of horror followed the demon lord's words along with Yōko's own chuckle of delight at the bluntness of the taiyōkai.

Sesshōmaru, deciding not to stick around and wait for the group to gather their wits about them to retort to his truth, stood and made his way out of the small, overcrowded hut.

Kagome sat with wide eyes unseeing, looking at the gaping faces of her friends before her. Her mind stuttering, she forced her eyes and brain to focus as she watched Sesshōmaru leave the hut. "Se-Sesshōmaru, wait!" she called after him. Clumsily standing on shaky legs, she followed the demon from the hut. "Wh-where are you going?" she panted, reaching out a hand to grasp the silk of his kimono sleeve, effectively keeping him close. Golden eyes glared hard at her, but Kagome was still too out of her mind with his cold words, to notice.

"I never said I was leaving, Priestess. I simply had need of a breath of fresh air, untainted by the stench of humans and my half-brother's filth." Sesshōmaru replied, holding Kagome's gaze with his own before gesturing to her hand on his empty sleeve. "If you will refrain from touching my person." Blushing in embarrassment, Kagome let go of his kimono and backed away slightly, and into the hard form of her mate.

Looking up into Yōko's honey-golden eyes, she instantly felt the calming effects of the flower in her hair once more fill her being. Smiling her thanks at him, Kagome again moved forward towards the ever-imposing inu demon lord.

"Sesshōmaru," Kagome started, somewhat at a loss of what to say. "You have no right to tell me who I can and can't choose for friends. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippou, Kaede, and Kirara are my closest and dearest friends and though we may have had a falling out, it's because of this stupid curse. You, …you can't come in here a speak as if you know everything, when all you do is demand that Inuyasha had over his birthright to you or die. ...And you have no right to open your mouth and say anything against my friends." Growing angrier by the second and with each word that came from her mouth, Kagome decided to not speak another word for fear of overstepping the delicate boundary that she was treading heavily upon.

Not at all surprised by her outburst, the inu yōkai smirked, though Kagome could not see. "How touching." Sesshōmaru drawled sarcastically, ever aware of the ears of the miko's friends that were listening intently.

"You don't understand, Sesshōmaru!" Kagome insisted, hearing the sarcasm in his comment and becoming even more angered at his lack of care. Why she felt the need to explain all this to him, she did not understand. And why she felt she needed his approval and understanding, she did not know.

"No, Priestess, I fully understand. It still stands that your loyalty is misplaced." Sesshōmaru snapped, turning back around to face the miko and pin her with his glare, frozen anew.

"Why do you even care?" she whispered.

"That, is no business of yours." he replied simply, turning back around. "Not yet, at least." he added before he was gone in a flash of silver and white.

* * *

"Kagome-chan, why did you defend us against Sesshōmaru?" Sango asked curiously, once Kagome was seated in Kaede's small hut again.

Yōko was beside her with his eyes closed as he leaned lazily against the wall. It was a bit unnerving for Sango to see him there as a reminder of how she had betrayed Kagome, but the younger girl didn't have a problem with it and so Sango kept her mouth closed.

Hearing the demon slayer's question, Kagome frowned as she looked up. "What do you mean, Sango-chan? I should have, right? I mean you are my friends and Sesshōmaru, even though he may be a lord, has no right to tell me who I can and can't spend my time with." replied Kagome. "It's not like he's my mate or . . any . . . thing. Oh Kami!" It was then that the young priestess remembered the book that she had brought along with her.

Suddenly fearful, Kagome quickly crawled her way over to her giant yellow backpack and began tossing things out of it in her search for the diary she had found in the future.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha growled peeling back the straw door and nearly being struck with one of Kagome's math textbooks. "What the hell is she doing?" he demanded looking around the room for an explanation.

"We're not sure. Kagome-sama had an epiphany, I assume, and now she seems to be looking for something inside her bag." Miroku replied.

"Oh Kami!" Kagome exclaimed, finally finding the book. Taking a shaky breath, she stood carefully and turned to find somewhere more private to read the book. Not even noticing the several pairs of curious eyes following her form to the door, Kagome nearly ran into Inuyasha who still stood in the doorway.

"Geez, Kagome. What's so important about that book that you can't watch where you're going?" asked the hanyō.

"Nothing." Kagome replied quickly with a shake of her head, raven locks shaking around her with the movement of her head. "Excuse me." she asked politely, scooting around the inu hanyō to disappear from sight.

Standing slowly and stretching tiredly, Yōko made to follow after Kagome only to be stopped by an angry Inuyasha.

"Stay the hell away from her!" snarled Inuyasha, narrowing his golden orbs at the sly fox demon that had charmed his way into a position with Kagome that he himself had been wanting for a while.

Yōko merely smirked at the half-breed. "As Kagome's mate, it is my duty to make sure she stays safe. And unlike you, her so called friends, I take my responsibilities seriously. Further, as a thief with my status, I find Kagome to be a gem worth guarding." said Yōko simply, pushing several buttons that he knew would throw the hanyō off his game.

The battle was won as Inuyasha had nothing to say in a retort to Yōko's sharp wit. With a victorious chuckle, the silver fox slipped past the hanyō and after his precious gem.

Perhaps he could persuade her to forget about her silly book in favor of a repeat of their repeat of last night.

* * *

A silently brooding Yōko, lay sprawled comfortably over his silken sheet covered futon. Kagome sat next to him, intently reading through the book that she had found to be her diary. Starting from the beginning, she was just now reaching the part of the diary where it went into more detail about Sesshōmaru being her mate.

_**Oh, he's so amazing. Just wonderful. The perfect guy that I had been waiting for.**_

_**Well both him and . . .**_

There was a water stain that Kagome could only guess was from a tear. And obviously damage from the years.

'_Someone else? But.. who? And what happened to him to make it so painful to think about?'_ Kagome wondered to herself.

_**Anyways, I'm very much in love with Sesshōmaru and though we did not start out as friends, I could not imagine myself not ending up with him as my mate.**_

_**The beginning of our more intimate relationship began the day that he stopped into Kaede's village looking for me to lift the spell that he thought I put on him to force him to fall in love with me. Of course, he learned that I hadn't, but still was unconvinced. He stayed in the village for the next couple of weeks following me around and demanding that I stop with this charade and remove my spell before he tested his theory of my death ending the spell.**_

_**He was so impatient back then. However, I was unable to do as he asked and as the arrival of my monthly transformation came closer, I left to spend a couple of days at home in my time with my family.**_

"Kagome, koi, are you sure that you are too occupied to spend time with me? Your mate?" Yōko whined, another _winning_ aspect of his irresistible charm.

Sparing a glance in his direction, Kagome found herself staring into dancing golden eyes that sparkled with lust. And then suddenly, Kagome was lying on her back with Yōko hovering just above her, smirking slyly as he leaned in to smother her neck in little nips and kisses.

Licking her lips in delight, Kagome sighed. Why did she have to go and make the sexiest demon she had ever seen, who knew that he was which only further fed his already large ego, her mate?

"Yōko," she whispered. "Please don't. I really am too busy."

"Your book will not be going anywhere." Yōko replied, not stopping in his advances.

"Yes, but neither will your libido." retorted Kagome, and against her will, her eyes slid closed in pleasure. There was a chuckle from above that sent vibrations throughout her body, teasing her enough to want to continue.

"Very bright and quick retort. It would seem that I'm not concentrating enough to do my job." Yōko murmured against the skin of his mate's neck. Leaning up just enough to cover Kagome's lips with his own, Yōko ran a clawed hand up the smooth expanse of the flesh of her thigh, as his tongue slipped past the barrier of her lips.

Peaking open an amber colored eye, Yōko focused his spirit energy on the many plants growing along the walls of the room. Though it was unseen, the plants released a scent that acted as an aphrodisiac for the still resistant priestess.

Catching the sweet scent in the air, Kagome relaxed, allowing Yōko to finally have his way.

The silver fox, smirked in delight as he recognized the rising scent of arousal coming from the woman beneath him. _'Score.'_

* * *

"Where is she?" demanded Sesshōmaru, appearing suddenly in the doorway of Kaede's hut.

The aged priestess, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, Kirara, and Shippou all looked up in surprise at the Western Lord's unexpected arrival. However, they all knew whom he was looking for.

Frowning his displeasure at having to see his half-brother so soon, a day since his last visit, Inuyasha growled. "Why the hell do you need to know?"

Finding it hard to refrain from rolling his eyes, Sesshōmaru snarled. "None of your business, half-breed. What I do with the priestess is my business and my business alone!" It would seem that Sesshōmaru was just as displeased at seeing Inuyasha.

"Feh! Wouldn't it be Kagome's business too?" Inuyasha retorted with a smirk at being able to poke fun at his brother. However, his joy was short lived when he found himself suddenly lifted off the floor with his brother's claws digging deeply into his neck.

"She had better not be with that fox!" Sesshōmaru growled, blood seeping into the golden of his eyes and changing them as he lost control on his inner demon.

Choking slightly, "W-why do you care?" Inuyasha rasped.

Almost instantly the red was gone from Sesshōmaru's golden eyes as they widened slightly.

'_Why do I care?'_ the demon lord asked himself. Thinking quickly, "Because that demon that you let her run off with and mate, just so happens to be an accomplished thief. I've learned from my spies that this Yōko Kurama, has not only been following your ragtag group for several months, eyeing Kagome, but his eyes have often been seen eyeing the Shikon. Though it's not my job to protect your priestess, Rin would be devastated to learn of Kagome being hurt by the thief whom might have only been using her to get to the jewel." Sesshōmaru replied easily.

"That's where I've heard that name before!" Sango gasped suddenly with realization. All the stories her father had told her of the thief and bandit Yōko Kurama, came rushing back to her. "Oh Kami." She whispered, suddenly feeling sick. "You guys, Yōko is not a lightweight. His power, …he really could hurt Kagome-chan. And we wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

"Well fuck, Sango! Why the hell didn't you mention this sooner?!" Inuyasha demanded, able to breathe once more, now that his brother's grip had loosened. "Let go you bastard! I have to go find Kagome before it's too late."

"Hn. Gladly." Said Sesshōmaru, releasing the hanyō from his hold. "Filthy half-breed." And he was gone.

* * *

Brown orbs with an underlying red tone, snapped open quickly from a deep sleep. "The book." Kagome gasped as she sat up suddenly. Tears were gathering steadily in her eyes as she searched frantically for the book that had been forgotten in favor of her mate.

Wrapping the sheet around her bare skin, Kagome fell to the floor on her hands and knees, desperately searching for her diary.

'_Where is it? I need . . '_ The tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes, slipped onto the ground below. Looking back up at the unmoving body still on the futon, the dream that had just played, came back to the forefront of her thoughts and Kagome quickly crawled back onto the bed.

"Yōko!" she whispered, gently shaking the fox demon. Though he was warm beneath her hands, tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "Yōko!" she whispered again and yet not receiving an answer. "Yōko!!" she cried shaking him more firmly now. "Please?" she whimpered. Still he did not answer and Kagome was left to grab her head and shake furiously at the images playing there. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Feeling a drop of water hit him in the face and then roll down his cheek, Yōko finally awoke to find Kagome kneeled above him, chanting the word "no" repeatedly.

"Kagome?" he asked carefully. Seeing her become startled at the sound of his voice before throwing herself on top of him, Yōko felt the need to ask what was going on. He was however, interrupted when Kagome's lips covered his own is a desperate kiss. Not one to let a good thing slip through his grasp, Yōko returned the kiss, thoroughly pleased to wake up this way. Until Kagome pulled back and buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.

Now thoroughly confused and somewhat concerned, Yōko wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, gently combing his clawed fingers through her hair. "Kagome, ..what brings these tears to your eyes. What has caused my precious jewel to lose her shine?" he asked.

Though he couldn't explain why, seeing Kagome cry, brought a pang to his chest. It hurt him to see her so distraught. He knew it was not love he felt for her, as he is the great Yōko Kurama and did not love. Most especially when he had all the playmates he could ever want. But perhaps, due to her status as his mate, he was a little bit more attached to her. She was after all the first he had ever marked his own. And though there was no love, he certainly did like to see her shine like the gem he saw her as. It would seem that she had won his heart as his most prized possession, albeit stolen.

Not receiving a response from the woman in his arms, Yōko sighed. "Kagome, jemu, tell me."

Lifting her head slightly, Kagome peered carefully into the golden eyes watching her so carefully. Once more, tears gathered there as she saw flashes of her dream in her mind's eye. "I . . I had this dream, but . . Where is my book?" she asked, unable to speak of what she had seen. And yet, needing to see if her dream had been a vision of what was to come. If so, then so Kami help her, she would do whatever she had to, to keep her dream from coming true.

"I didn't move it. So it should still be where you dropped it on the floor." Replied the fox. His curiosity, though, had been awoken when Kagome would not speak of what had happened in her dream to drive her to the point of tears.

"I looked and it's not there." she sniffled, laying her head back down to relax comfortably against Yōko's warm body.

"I'll help you look later. For now, just rest."

And as Kagome closed her eyes to relax and return to the land of dreams, Yōko was left to lay awake, pondering and still curious as to what dreams had elicited such a disturbing reaction from his mate and precious gem.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome and Yōko did look for the book, but could not find it. Knowing that she had not misplaced it and that Yōko did not take it, Kagome was left with worry and fears that could not be put to rest. Yōko, however, did not let Kagome sulk over what he thought was a silly book and decided that it was best for his mate if she were to return to the village with her friends.

"But, Yōko," Kagome began in protest, as he gently led her from the cave and out into the warmth of the day.

"Come now, love. I'm sure that your friends are worried for you. Spend some time with them and repair the damage that you said yourself was there."

Kagome sighed and stopped resisting against her mate. "Fine." she grumbled.

Delighted that the argument had been settled and he had won, Yōko smirked. "Good. Now then, I'll take you to the village. After that I have to go but, I shall return soon for you."

"Go? Where?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Ah. That, my love, is a secret for now. However, when I return, I shall share with you what I accomplished." replied Yōko.

"Mmm, promise?"

Chuckling at the childlike state of his mate, the silver fox pulled Kagome to him and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "I do." He whispered, watching with prideful delight at the blush that rose onto his mate's cheeks.

Releasing the young woman, Yōko once more began to lead Kagome back to the village of the Priestess Kaede. The rest of their journey passing in silence.

Upon reaching the village, Kagome was greeted warmly by her friends and they in turn were given a firm warning from Yōko that should anything happen to Kagome while he was gone, their deaths would be a light punishment, all things considered.

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha grumbled, still sore over the fact that the woman he loved, now belonged to another yōkai.

Recognizing the frown that appeared on the dangerous kitsune yōkai's face, Miroku quickly stepped forward, laughing nervously, while mentally cursing his hanyō friend. "Don't worry, Yōko-sama. Kagome will be taken care of and safe until your return."

"I'll hold you to your word monk." Yōko said calmly. A dark glint behind his golden eyes. Allowing his yōki to rise in warning, Yōko turned sharply on his heel before disappearing in a flash of silver.

Miroku sighed heavily once the presence of the silver kitsune yōkai could no longer be felt. "Well then, Kagome-sama, I guess we'll have to lock you up somewhere safe until your mate returns." he joked, violet eyes sparkling when Kagome's giggles reached his ears.

"Hai, Miroku. If that is what it takes to keep you all safe from Yōko's wrath." Kagome replied, continuing along with the joke. Grabbing onto the monk's hand, she drug him along through the village towards Kaede's hut. Sango, Inuyasha, Kirara, and Shippou following behind.

'_Now maybe we'll get the chance to fix our relationship before it can suffer any more.'_

* * *

Kagome in an inhuman display, growled lowly as she stalked through the forestry just outside of Kaede's village, anger radiating from her aura. _'Just who does he think he is? Threatening me like that?! Well now I see why Inuyasha hates him so much. Arrogant prick!'_

"Kagome!" said hanyō's call, reached Kagome's sensitive ears and the young miko stopped fuming to look up. Spotting the red-clad inu racing towards her through the tree tops, she stopped her angry march through the forest.

"Down here, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled out. She waited patiently until her half-demon friend stood before her, watching cautiously for any sign of annoyance that she might show. Sighing, Kagome forced herself to relax and smile for her companion. "I'm okay, Inuyasha. But that brother of yours, he won't be if he doesn't leave me alone."

Inuyasha snickered. "Keh, just let me know when you're ready to kick his ass. I want to be there to see it firsthand when Sesshōmaru, all-mighty-demon-lord, gets his ass kicked by a pissed off miko."

Kagome giggled at her friend's words and nodded. "Un!"

"Now come on. The other's were worried when you stomped off like that." Holding out his hand for the girl, Kagome blushed before gently taking his hand and allowing him to lead her back to the village.

'_I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I wish it had been you.'_

* * *

It was now two weeks having passed since the proud Daiyōkai had arrived in the village and began to persuade Kagome to remove her spell of "love", that she supposedly cast upon him. It hadn't worked. Things had worsened and Sesshōmaru found that few things entertained his thoughts other than the priestess, Kagome. This had only served to make him angrier. To think that he, Sesshōmaru, Lord of the Western Lands, had fallen in love with a human priestess.

Kagome, however, found that it was soon time to return to her era for her visit with her family, before her monthly transformation. She sighed heavily at this thought. _'I hope he doesn't try to kill everyone out of anger while I'm gone.'_ Kagome thought to herself as she sat in Kaede's hut emptying her yellow backpack to take home and refill with supplies. _'Maybe he'll go home. …For good.'_ she added hopefully, but then realized that this was not at all a possibility. The proud jackass would not be happy to find out that she had disappeared and would only pester her even more when she got back, knowing to himself that he, as the "Lord of the West", would not be denied his freedom from a "lowly" human miko.

"Bastard." she grumbled, slowly coming to a stand. Carefully, Kagome poked her head from the hut and checked with every sense she had for the presence of the demon lord. Luckily, he was nowhere to be found and deciding not to question her luck, Kagome made a break for the well.

Having already explained to her friends of her plans to return to the future for a couple of days, Kagome did not bother to worry about seeking them out and letting them know that she was leaving. One name, however, did come to mind.

Yōko Kurama, her mate. He hadn't shown his face for a while and that slightly worried her, though she did not know why, considering that she barely knew him and they had been mated for less than a month. The only things she really knew about him were that he was an arrogant, sexually lustful, thieving, sneaky, gorgeous, silver kitsune yōkai. However, rather than worrying more than necessary, Kagome knew that should he return while she was away, her friends would explain to him of her whereabouts.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Kagome sighed as she came to a stop in front of the Bone Eater's Well. Turning back around she scanned the clearing for any presences and was glad once more to find none. "Be back soon." she whispered before turning to leap over the edge of the well.

In a flash of sky blue and white lights, Kagome was gone to travel through the ages ending up where it all started. In the future, where she was born.

Two pairs of amber eyes, unknowing of each other, watched the well for a moment longer before both pairs disappeared in a flash of white.

* * *

"Hey, Kaede-sama, I've got a theory, but since you know all there is to know about Kikyō's curse, perhaps you can decided whether or not this makes any sense." Miroku said, turning his thoughtful lavender gaze upon the aged miko.

"Yes, Miroku-san?" Kaede answered.

"Well, the curse that has been put on Kagome-sama, you've stated that if Kagome-sama were to mate while she was in her transformed demonic state, she would stay a demon once the time of the curse's activation had finished. But Kagome-sama has mated while in her human state. Would this at all affect the curse, or would Kagome-sama still stay a demon? Does this curse still even have any power, now that Kagome-sama has mated with Yōko?"

Sango and Inuyasha shared a look at Miroku's words. Could this be true? Did the curse work anymore? Had Kagome's mating Yōko been a blessing in disguise?

"Hm, this is a wonderful point ye have brought up, Miroku-san. However, my understanding of the curse that Kikyō used is that this particular curse acts as an incurable infection. It lies dormant until once a month where it flares up and forces these changes that Kagome undergoes. While dormant, it goes undetected and so even if there was a way to break the curse, there would be no way to attack it, until it flares and becomes active. However, because of how the curse works, one is too busy trying to keep the infected from mating that there is no time to apply any type of cure. And although I wish it were possible, I don't think that Kagome mating Yōko while human, would affect the curse in any way. I'm sorry, Miroku-san but, no."

Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha sighed sadly.

"Well, since we can't help her while the curse is dormant, is there something, anything to break it when she does transform?" Sango dared to ask.

"Not anything that I know of. Perhaps ye should seek out that witch once more." offered the aged miko.

"Keh, yeah right! The old coot was of no help the first time." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Then maybe ye should seek out a dark miko."

"Like Tsubaki?" Sango wondered.

"Hai, though most dark miko are paired with evil, there are some that were just wronged and seek to help in any way they can with their changed powers." Kaede replied.

"Where would we find one, Kaede-sama?" Miroku ventured.

"Well, I doubt ye would be able to locate her in time for Kagome's next transformation, but there is one kuro miko that lives in an abandoned village to the south of here. Lady Mitei-Ai, was a miko that was wronged and though she does not outright declared herself sided with evil, she is not entirely for the greater good. Be careful when ye seek her assistance."

"Thank you, Kaede-sama." smiled Miroku.

"Keh, well I'm not waiting. We've got two days before Kagome returns. I'm going now." Inuyasha declared, standing and slipping the sheathed Tetsusaiga into his sash.

"Wait, Inuyasha. I'm going too." Sango stated, standing quickly and gathering her weapons.

"I will accompany you as well. If all else fails, perhaps we can use the witch's spell, to contain this Lady Mitei-Ai until she provides us with her assistance." Miroku added, stretching lazily as he came to stand beside Sango.

"Keh, or maybe we can use you to seduce her ya pervert." Inuyasha scoffed. Though he was joking, he did not miss the thoughtful look behind the monk's lavender eyes. Rolling his amber orbs, Inuyasha walked out of the hut, not once looking back.

"We'll shall return shortly." Miroku bowed to Kaede, before he too followed after his companions.

Shaking her head sadly, Kaede could not help but sigh. _'Dear Kami, please be with those three and see them back safely.'_

* * *

Kagome sighed, depressed that her time in the future had so quickly passed, leaving her with only little over an hour to get back to the past before her transformation.

"Relax, dear. We know you'll be in good hands, so why do you worry so?" Mama Higurashi asked of her daughter. Smiling comfortingly, she pulled the young woman into her embrace, hands soothingly running through the silky black locks.

"I'm too strong for them." was the soft whisper that reached Mama Higurashi's ears. Looking down, she was startled to find that no longer did her daughter's laughing brown orbs hold her own gaze, but the ruby red gaze of a stranger.

"Kagome… I," Kagome's mother fell silent, realizing that she had no idea what to say.

"Azumi! Daughter, where are you?" the aged voice of Kagome's grandfather called from just outside her bedroom.

Both women paused and looked to the door. Azumi was glad for the interruption as it distracted her from realizing that her daughter was slowly dying in front of her. From realizing that the stress of time-hopping and monthly transformations into a creature the very opposite of who she was, was slowly killing her daughter.

"In here, otou-san." Azumi called. The door swung open quickly after and in stepped Hisao Higurashi. He was wearing a goofy smile and holding a scroll in his right hand.

"Ah, there you two are… What's happened?" he asked, seeing the despondent nature of the two important women in his life.

Azumi faked a smile and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, otou-san." she lied. "What's that in your hand?" she continued, completely missing the look on her daughter's face that screamed that she needed to talk. Needed her mother's comfort.

"Ah, yes!" Once more, the goofy smile appeared on Hisao's face. "I need to speak with you. In private."

"Okay. Kagome dear, why don't you finishing packing, hm? We can finish talking later." Azumi offered, tentatively meeting her daughter's ruby red gaze.

"But-" Kagome began.

"I love you." interrupted Azumi, leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Kagome's forehead, before following her father from the room.

'_Okaa-san? You too?'_ thought Kagome sadly.

* * *

A constant tapping of claws against wood, sounded throughout the small hut of Priestess Kaede as Inuyasha sat impatiently worrying over his missing miko.

"Where is Kagome-chan? She should be here by now." Sango wondered aloud, just as worried as the inu hanyō seated across from her.

"I'm sure she's hopping into the well in her time as we speak, Sango-sama." Miroku offered, hoping to soothe the nerves of his friends. However, because he was as worried as they were, his words were of no help.

They had returned only a mere two hours ago from their trip to seek out the Lady Mitei-Ai. When they had reached the village, they had found it entirely abandoned. There were signs of life in one of the huts and they had come to the conclusion that it was the kuro miko they were looking for, when they came upon the garden of all sorts of herbs and plants. But it would seem that she was not currently in the village.

Deciding to wait a day to see if she would return, Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha stayed the night in the abandoned village. When they awoke the next morning and still no signs of the kuro miko, it was decided that they should begin making their way back to their own village, for Kagome would be returning the next day and it had taken them a while to reach the village they were now in. Defeated, they left the village of the kuro miko, Mitei-Ai.

Now here they were, back home with empty hands.

"Baka girl. The sun's more than halfway down now! Where the hell is she?!" Inuyasha growled, jumping to a stand and tilting his head to scent the air in hopes that Kagome's sweet scent was nearby.

No such luck. Only the scent of her mate, Yōko Kurama.

Snarling at this thought, Inuyasha plopped back down on the wooden surface.

The silver fox had returned right after Kagome had gone through the well to her time. Knowing exactly where his mate was, he had not bothered to stop by the village to visit with his mate's friends, rather stayed on the outskirts of the village, by the well awaiting her return.

There was one more scent that reached Inuyasha's nose, and it was of his brother's. Sesshōmaru had yet to leave and once he had found out that Kagome had disappeared, he had nearly killed Inuyasha in his demands to know where Kagome had gone.

Fearing for the hanyō's life, Sango and Miroku had explained to Sesshōmaru the details of Kagome's life, including her birth in the future and trips through time. After the explanation, Sesshōmaru had staked out in the forestry surrounding the well to await the priestess's return.

Neither Sesshōmaru nor Yōko had met yet and this left Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Kaede in a state of worry, considering the fact that two very powerful demons were awaiting the same girl. One looking to sweep her off her feet and take her away to Kami knows where, and the other looking to kill her for casting a love spell.

"Inuyasha, please." Kaede scolded lightly, poking at the flames in the center of her hut with a wooden stick.

"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed, rolling his amber colored eyes in frustration. However, he could not sit back down and wait any longer. "I'm going to get that stupid girl and drag her back here." He announced and not waiting for anyone's approval, he disappeared from the hut.

Sango and Miroku both groaned.

"It will not do anyone any good if he goes to get her as he is now. He might even start a fight between Yōko and Lord Sesshōmaru." Kaede spoke wisely, eyeing the demon slayer and monk with a look that said they need to stall Inuyasha until the very last moment.

"Alright, Kaede-sama. We're going." Miroku sighed, coming to a stand. Grabbing his staff from the wall he chased after the hanyō.

Left with only Sango, Kaede waited. "Is there some reason that ye are not out there helping Miroku?" she asked the yōkai taijiya.

"Kagome-chan is too strong. How can we possibly hope to save her when everything we have to protect her, she can break through?" Sango asked despondently.

"So ye would rather give up on her?" Kaede retorted.

"No! It's just that I don't know how to-"

"Ye fail Kagome so much worse by giving up, than by just trying ye best and failing."

"Kaede-sama, why-"

"And ye call yourself her friend. What friend would give up on someone they loved when faced with the questions, "how"? Ye still fight for you brother, Kohaku, do ye not?"

"B-but I-" Sango stuttered, fighting off the tears that threatened to fall.

"Kagome will know that ye have finally failed her. And Kagome will probably suffer, but because she is so strong, Kagome will find a way to continue on. Continue to help ye fight for ye brother. Even though she now must have to deal with two powerful yōkai mates, without any priestess powers to help her fight ye war against Naraku."

"I-I," The sound of tears beating against the wooden floors was the only thing to be heard.

"KAGOME!"

Looking up sharply, Sango and Kaede were horrified to find that the sun finally had set.

"Hurry! Before it is too late!" Kaede urged, pulling Sango roughly to her feet and thrusting Hiraikotsu into the slayer's hands.

Looking up with her one good eye, Kaede gazed deeply into Sango's eyes. Tears still poured down the younger girl's face and Kaede tenderly wiped them away. "I know ye have yet to give up on Kagome, but ye must continue to fight this inner demon that threatens to devour ye will. Kagome needs ye all more than ever now. She needs _you_, more than ever. Do not fail her."

Nodding furiously, Sango wiped the last of her tears. Turning to face the door, she paused for only a moment. "Arigatou, Kaede-sama." she whispered before racing the hut. Kirara hot on her heels.

'_Good for ye, Sango.'_ Kaede sighed thoughtfully. _'Now for that stubborn hanyō. What can I say to him to get him to realize just how much he needs to wake up, before he loses the woman he chose over Kikyō?'_

* * *

"Mou," Kagome groaned as she tiredly tossed her yellow pack down into the depths of the well. It was an easy task even though the bag was filled to the brim with all sorts of food and objects to help her in the past. But considering the sun had less the half a ways to go before completely set, Kagome knew that it was just her demonic strength.

Sighing sadly, Kagome sank to the ground to wait for her mother to come. Her mother had promised to see her off and so Kagome would wait, even if it mean to wait to the very last second. Looking up, Kagome continued to sit and watch as the sun slowly descended behind the trees. "Okaa-san, where are you?" she wondered aloud.

The minutes continued to tick by.

It wasn't until the sun finally disappeared completely behind the trees, and the first star of the night twinkle merrily in the sky did Kagome stand, giving up on the hope that her mother would come. And as her hope faded, so did the chocolate brown color of her eyes. Blinking away her tears, ruby red orbs gazed into the dark depths of the well, as clawed hands gripped the edges.

"Kagome?" Azumi whispered, unsure if it was her daughter, or a monster standing before her.

As if she had never heard her name, Kagome swung her legs over the lip of the well.

"Kagome!" Azumi called desperately, her father's words ringing in her ears.

"_Why do you ignore the signs?" Hisao asked his daughter, dropping the playful old man façade in favor of the disappointed father that he was._

"_Excuse me?" Azumi asked, unsure if she had heard her father correctly._

"_Why do you ignore your daughter's suffering?" Hisao repeated, turning to face is daughter._

"_Otou-san?" gasped Azumi, hurt by her father's words._

"_Don't, Azumi. She's still you're daughter… and she's suffering. Why do you ignore you're daughter's pain? You fail her when you do. She needs you, and you ignore her. How can you expect her to return to a home that no longer welcomes everything she is? This curse is now a part of who she is. So again I ask, why do you ignore her pain and suffering?"_

_Sighing, Azumi shook her head in shame. "I don't know... When I look in her eyes, I see that she hurts and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her... How can I claim to be her mother when I don't know how to keep her from hurting?"_

"_You don't have to know how to solve her problems. You just have to be there to comfort her when she needs comfort. Love her when she feels lost and alone. Don't you want to be the one she comes home to when she does have the answers? The one who hugs and shares in the joy of knowing that she's figured it out on her own, grown into a woman that can take care of herself? Go to her, Azumi. Go to your daughter."_

"Kagome, I'm so sorry." Azumi whispered. "You don't have to forgive me now, but please just let me know that you'll come back. That you'll come home." she pleaded. Watching her daughter carefully, she was startled when Kagome turned her head to look at her from the corner of her eye. Ruby red met her chocolate brown eyes. Emptiness. Blank, ruby colored eyes stared back at her.

"You're too late." Kagome stated calmly. A smirk followed her statement and before Azumi could say anything else, her daughter had fallen into the well's depths, disappearing in a flash of blue and white lights.

"Oh dear Kami." Azumi murmured, sinking to the ground below as she stared, unblinkingly at the well.

* * *

Sesshōmaru rolled his amber eyes as he listened to his brother argue with the monk and taijiya. _'Fools.'_ The scent of rain and cinnamon however, alerted Sesshōmaru to the returning miko and he turned his attention to watch as a yellow pack was thrown from the depths, only to land a few feet from the well.

Just as the taiyōkai was preparing to leap from his place hidden in the trees, another figure appeared in front of the well, peering curiously over the lip and sniffing delicately down into it's depths. _'Where did that kitsune come from? And why did I not sense him before?'_ Sesshōmaru asked himself, thoroughly disappointed in his abilities.

"Kagome?" the smooth and seductive voice of the kitsune called down into the well.

Again the scent of rain and cinnamon reached Sesshōmaru's nose, only this time it was laced with something else that sent his inner demon reeling. _'Damn.'_

Below, Yōko waited patiently for Kagome to make her way out of the well. He did not wait long, however, before her tiny hands appeared from the darkness to grip the lip of the well. There was something different about her hands though, and tilting his head to the side slightly, Yōko smirked slyly, recognizing that his mate was no longer human.

'_I can not believe I almost forgot.'_ Amber eyes bleeding red, lust enveloped his mind. "Well, well. How is my mate this evening?" Yōko asked, delicately lifting Kagome from the well and seating her on the lip. Blood red met ruby and Yōko nearly lost himself as he took a deep breath.

Kagome smiled, licking her lips. Leaning forward to brush her lips teasingly against his own, she sighed. Wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her chest against his own, Kagome began to place gentle nips and kisses along the kitsune's neck. She was startled however, when he growled threateningly at her. Pulling back to look curiously at him, "Oh?"

"You are my mate." the kitsune snarled, grabbing her wrists and pulling her away from his body forcefully. "I will take charge."

Kagome laughed, realizing that she was dealing with a very dominant male. "Ah, I see. But you will get nothing, if you do not release me, _**now**_." Kagome answered firmly. When Yōko did not obey, she did something unexpected that shocked the kitsune into letting go of her wrists.

Pulling her fangs from the flesh of the left side of his neck, she ran her tongue over her sharp teeth, nicking herself in the process before running her bleeding tongue over the mark she had just made on the silver kitsune. The wound on her tongue and the wound on his neck sealed instantly. Yōko, however, was left with a scar. "Now," Kagome whispered, looking defiantly into Yōko's rage filled blood-red eyes, "you are my mate. And we are equals."

Honor bound, Yōko retaliated the only way he knew how. Angrily he forced his mouth upon her own and kissed her as roughly as he could. Kagome, however, did not seem fazed and kissed him back just as hard. Her claws tore through the material of his shirt, only too ready to consummate their new relationship.

Sadly, they were interrupted when Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku came barreling through the tree line. Seeing what was going on between their dear friend and her mate, "KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, throwing the hefty weapon at the silver kitsune. The oversized weapon did its job and separated Kagome and Yōko from each other when both jumped out of the way to avoid the deadly object. They each landed on either side of the well, glaring at the newcomers.

Yet before anyone could make any moves, Sesshōmaru, whom had been waiting in his tree until now, obeyed when his demon growled at him to go after the unfulfilled Kagome.

Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Yōko all watched as Sesshōmaru appeared behind Kagome in a blur, securing her in his grasp before disappearing just as quickly in a second blur. Cautiously, the slayer, hanyō-turned-human, and monk turned to gauge Yōko's reaction.

Large vines from the ground below shot up and enveloped Yōko in their massiveness before pulling him under the ground and out of the group's sight. But not before they felt the explosion of the silver kitsune's yōki. It was so filled with rage that it nearly choked them all in the single second that it had been there.

The three were silent, knowing that once sunrise came, Kagome would be back. Only this time, she would be mated. They had failed. Miserably, they had failed.

"Shit!!" Inuyasha cursed, throwing his fist at one of the trees behind him. Miroku and Sango could only look on sadly.

"We've failed her. We failed Kagome-chan." Sango sighed, sinking to the earthen floor.

'_Please forgive us, Kagome-sama.'_

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Mou, twenty-seven damn pages. I'm proud though, as it took me several months to finish.

I apologize for such a long delay in between chapters. However after my spark of creativity, I was bombarded by the fact that . . . MY MUSE HAD LEFT ME ONCE MORE!

!-! *cries and curses muse*

Ahem, anyways, I found inspiration in music and your lovely reviews.

Thank you all for being so supportive and patient. I shall do my best to manifest the next chapter coming out much sooner than this one. …But knowing my lack of creativity and lack of muse to inspire me, that might be a while.

Oh the word jemu, means gem in Japanese. Though I don't know how that wouldn't be obvious. If you read aloud then you'll see just what I mean.

So until I next update for you all…

Sincerely Yours,

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	7. VII

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male, but she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**2004 - 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

Kagome blinked, taking in her new surroundings. Growling, sensing the barrier keeping her from going anywhere, she turned to find Sesshōmaru leaned casually against the cave wall, watching her with blood red eyes.

"As nice as this would have been, I have a mate. Release me, and I might persuade him to not kill you." Kagome said calmly.

Because she had not completed the mating process with consummation, the curse was still active and she was still a lusting demoness. However, she had marked Yōko and felt a certain need to honor their relationship, rather than take another mate. Though she felt this way, it did not mean that she couldn't take another mate. And Sesshōmaru knew this. Not only because her scent was still teasing him, calling him, but because he had done all the research he could on the particular curse that Kagome had placed on her.

Nearly giving in to his yōkai, Sesshōmaru forced himself from the cave wall and stalked closer to the demoness before him. A dangerous smirk on his face as he stalked his prey. "I understand now, Priestess. You didn't place any type of spell on me. I am, however, disappointed by the fact that you left to return to your home before I gave you permission."

Kagome scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course. And I apologize for that my Lord. But I have no time to soothe your ego right now. More important business calls to me."

Sesshōmaru growled and disobeyed his own yōkai when he grabbed Kagome by the throat, pulling her body close to his own, and yet there was nothing lustful about this action. Kagome growled and struggled to get free, but Sesshōmaru just pulled her closer, close enough so that he could whisper into her ear.

"I am going to make you suffer."

Kagome's ruby eyes widened at his words and she struggled with more fervor that only intensified when the yōkai lord pressed her against the cave wall, his body keeping her there while his arm worked with the ties of her clothing.

When his lips descended to her neck to lavish the skin there with kisses and nips, Kagome could not find the strength to fight anymore. Sighing delicately, she sought to return the favor Sesshōmaru was giving her. However, she also had other plans and while she carefully inched her way around to the delicate skin covering his pulse, she mentally smirked before biting down.

Blood red orbs shot open, realizing what had just happened. He snarled when the fangs left his neck and waited for Kagome to bite her tongue and complete the process of marking him as her mate, before he pulled back.

Stoically, the yōkai lord Sesshōmaru watched as his mate's eyes met his own. A smirk covering her features. "Really, Sesshōmaru. If you were watching everything in your tree like I think you were, then you should have known better."

"You think I care that you marked me first?" he asked, allowing a slender brow to rise as if to mock her.

Narrowing her eyes at the yōkai she growled. "You should." she retorted threateningly.

"Hn." Sesshōmaru chuckled, leaning forward to whisper once more in the demoness's ear. "I will have you begging me to mark you before I even finish with you."

Kagome shivered and could only watch as the proud demon continued to undress her.

And he was right, before he had even finished bringing her to completion, she was begging him to mark her. And he was only too happy to comply with his mate's wishes.

* * *

A loud roar and the sharp sound of a shattering barrier startled Kagome awake. Ruby red orbs shot around the room looking for the source of disturbance. Sitting up quickly she was confused to find her surroundings of that of a small cave.

'_Yōko?'_ Shaking her head, she knew this wasn't Yōko's home. It was too barren.

"Kagome," a deep, velvety voice called to her. Looking back, Kagome gasped when she found Sesshōmaru seated behind her dressed in only his white hakamas and a smirk.

"Oh Kami!" she gasped, memories of everything that had happened, coming to the forefront of her mind.

"As much as I enjoy the fact that you're wearing my clothes, I'd like my haori back now so that I might defend myself against your other mate." Sesshōmaru said as he came to a stand, holding out a clawed hand to help his mate to her feet.

"Hai." Kagome whispered numbly, shrugging her shoulders from the oversized haori and handing it to the yōkai lord. Quickly getting dressed in her own clothes, Kagome watched as her mate, Sesshōmaru, finished tying the sash that held his haori closed, around his waist. He didn't even have time to grab his two swords before Yōko had burst through the cave and attacked the demon lord, blood red eyes filled with rage.

Easily dodging the attacks, Sesshōmaru moved to test his newest appendage, the arm that had been restored during his mating to Kagome, when Yōko viciously grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the cave wall.

"You've committed a sin by even thinking to dare touch what is mine." Yōko snarled, silver fur sprouting rapidly as his control on his demon slipped. The transformation into the massive silver fox was staved off only by the scent of Sesshōmaru's blood on his claws.

"Yōko." Kagome whispered carefully. She shivered when Yōko's angry gaze met her own unsure one. Quicker than she had time to think, Kagome was suddenly overshadowed by the tall form of Yōko as he looked down onto her. She flinched slightly when he reached out a hand to cup her face. He noticed this and frowned.

"I'd never hurt you. However, you reek of his scent and so I must remedy that." he whispered, pressing his mate into the wall and lifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.

"Yōko," Kagome breathed when Yōko grabbed and ripped any clothing that he could get his claws on.

Not liking where this was going, Sesshōmaru growled his displeasure and made to force the kitsune off of his mate's body, but was stopped when strong yōki and thorn-covered vines sprouted from the earth and pinned him to the wall. The inu roared when he was stuck with the sharp thorns, but found he could not move.

"Keep your filthy thieving hands off of the Lady of the Western Lands." Sesshōmaru snarled, his own amber colored eyes bleeding red as he fought off the poisons that had entered his body by way of the thorns on Yōko's vines.

"No." Yōko replied, sparing only a sharp glance in Sesshōmaru's direction as he continued to touch their mate.

"Yōko," Kagome sighed, out of her mind with pleasure.

And before the eyes of a pissed off inu yōkai, Yōko consummated his own relationship with the miko turned demoness.

* * *

"Where is Kagome?" Kaede asked when Miroku, Sango, and human Inuyasha returned to her hut.

Feeling as though this was becoming a ritual, Miroku replied for himself and his friends. "Sesshōmaru took her and Yōko followed after them."

Kaede frowned heavily. "And why did ye not do the same?" she asked, seriously questioning the sanity of not only Kagome, but her choice of friends.

"You really think we could have caught up to them? And even if we did, what do you think we three humans could have done against three raging demons? Nothing!" Inuyasha yelled angrily.

"Ye could have at least tried!" Kaede yelled in return, glaring at the three of them with her one good eye.

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha scoffed, flopping down onto the wooden floor.

Kaede sighed, knowing that she couldn't blame any of them. Inuyasha was right. Against three very powerful and determined yōkai, there was nothing that even a taijiya, monk, and hanyō could do.

"I apologize. But I only worry over what Kagome will think when she awakens tomorrow mated to not one, but two demons. I wonder if she'll even return, knowing she can no longer sense the Shikon shards." Kaede wondered solemnly.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Sango broke down into heart wrenching sobs for the second time that day.

"Sango-sama," Miroku whispered, moving to comfort the defeated demon slayer.

"Kaede, what's wrong with everyone?" asked Shippou as he entered the hut. Confusion and worry engulfed his emerald colored eyes as he looked upon each of their defeated faces. "And where's Kagome?"

Kaede sighed and pulled the young kitsune into her lap to explain to him, in gentle, non-threatening nor alarming tones that Kagome would return. But she would no longer be human.

That is, if she did return at all.

* * *

Yawning tiredly, Kagome sat up and stretched. A blush threatened to engulf her entire face when she felt Yōko shift against her in his sleep. Pulling the sheet up around her bare chest, she looked around the room for her other mate. She didn't see him, and so she figured that he was probably wandering through Yōko's home, taking inventory on how much of an accomplished thief the fox really was.

Kagome sighed as she replayed everything through her head once more.

After brandishing his claim on her in front of Sesshōmaru, Yōko had taken her back to his home, daring Sesshōmaru to follow. The inu had and would have engaged in an all out war over her with Yōko, had she not broken down from the weight of everything hitting her all at one. Both of her mates had come to a truce to comfort her when she had gone into hysteria over the fact that she was no longer human, and no longer did she have any reason to return to her friends, now that she was no longer a miko. They had calmed her down and she had fallen asleep with both of them at her side.

Now that she was awake, she once more had time to realize and think over her new situation. _'I wonder what kind of demon I am.'_ was the first stray thought that hit her. And it made sense, the curse, under normal conditions, would have turned her into the same demon as her mate, but she had two mates from two very different species. So, which one was she? Or was she both?

Breathing deeply, she scented Sesshōmaru wandering, just as she had thought he would. _'Mm, mint and cinnamon.'_ Kagome recognized as her mate's distinctive scent. Though the cinnamon was new, but that was due to the fact that from their mating, her scent had mixed with his own. Her own unique scent had changed as well to accommodate the mint of her inu mate, and the rose scent from her kitsune mate.

"Kagome?" the demoness looked down to find Yōko watching her lazily.

"H-hi." she whispered in return, feeling oddly shy. Yōko chuckled with delight at the innocence of his mate.

"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome." he murmured pulling the demoness on top of him.

"Ye-yes?" Kagome answered, another blush sweeping over her cheeks.

"How are you feeling? Sore?" Yōko ventured to ask, a cocky smirk lighting his sharp and handsome features.

Feeling as though the blush was permanent, Kagome nodded. "A little." she replied honestly, her face matching her now ruby colored eyes.

"Hm, is there any place you'd like me to massage for you?" offered the silver kitsune, amber orbs darkening with lust. Eyes widening, Kagome shook her head quickly.

"I'm afraid that my mate, has no time to satisfy your inferior needs." Sesshōmaru stated sharply from the doorway.

Kagome and Yōko turned to look upon the silver inu, and while Kagome was grateful for his appearance, Yōko could not glare hard enough at the other yōkai. Sesshōmaru returned the hard look with his own cold amber gaze, however, his eyes softened when he turned to look at his mate.

"Kagome, considering your new status as my mate and Lady of the Western Lands, I believe that we need to have a discussion to explain your new responsibilities."

Biting her lip nervously, Kagome nodded and carefully pulled herself away from her kitsune mate to stand beside the large bed she had just been occupying, wrapped in only a sheet.

"Uh," she began, not quite comfortable dressed in only a sheet with two male demons in the same room as her. Even if they were her mates.

Yōko smirked, knowing that he was the cause of his mate's current silly predicament. "Perhaps you can explain to her, her new duties from the bed." Yōko offered slyly, eyeing his mate's curvaceous form fondly.

Now that they were now bound to each other for life, Yōko knew that he would no longer be allowed to take any other lovers to his bed. And so with this in mind, he decided that he was going to make to the most out of his new situation.

"Disgusting." Sesshōmaru grumbled, stalking forward to one of the many chests littering the room. Flicking the top open, he was met with many expensive silk kimonos. Finding one that suited his tastes, Sesshōmaru held out the silver kimono for Kagome to take.

Kagome blinked looking back and forth between her two mates, "Ahem!" Kagome tried, hoping that they would allow her some semblance of privacy so she could get dress. Both of them, however, lifted a single eyebrow, patiently waiting.

Realizing that she would have to voice her opinions to the two stubborn males, she sighed. "Could I have just a little bit of privacy, please?" she huffed, feeling a bit of herself return in spite of all the things that had changed. She watched with frustration as Yōko simply smirked.

"It's not anything we haven't already seen." Yōko stated, highly amused as he dropped an arm over his golden eyes, allowing his mate some shred of sanity. Sesshōmaru on the other hand, turned his back to her.

Quickly, before either of them could take a peek, Kagome dropped the sheet and wrapped herself in the new kimono. "Okay!" she sighed happily once she had complete her task. She stiffened slightly when a body pressed against her own, but relaxed when she realized that it was Sesshōmaru as he wrapped a ruby colored obi around her waist to hold the kimono closed. "A-arigatou, Sesshōmaru-sama." she whispered, turning shy once more.

"For you, my mate, I am merely Sesshōmaru." the proud demon offered, speaking kindly to Kagome. Turning her slowly to face him, the inu yōkai was rewarded with a bright smile.

"Okay, Sesshōmaru." she whispered.

"Ugh!" Yōko groaned loudly, rudely interrupting the sweet moment between Kagome and Sesshōmaru. Standing from the bed, the kitsune stretched lazily.

Turning to give him a piece of her mind about needing to share, considering she was mated to both Sesshōmaru and himself for life, Kagome was shocked to find that Yōko hadn't bothered to cover himself. "AIIIE!" she shrieked, turning back around to bury her flaming face in Sesshōmaru's chest. "Do you think you could be a bit more modest." she mumbled through the hard muscles of her mate's chest.

"Modesty is not befitting of a kitsune like me, Kagome-koi." Yōko replied nonchalantly, his silver tail swaying behind him as he made his way over to the same chest that Sesshōmaru had pulled Kagome's kimono from. His old clothes had been ruined the night before when Kagome's demon had impatiently clawed through them.

Picking out a matching haori and hakama set, after cutting a slit for his tail, Yōko donned the pristine white silk, fit for no one less than a lord. Feeling odd, dressed in such formal attire, the kitsune grumbled his disgust even as he tied the black sash around his waist. Once finished, he dusted imaginary dirt from the clothes before turning to face his mate, whom still had her head buried in the inu's chest. "Alright Kagome. I am, by your standards, decent."

Turning around slowly, Kagome sighed with relief upon seeing the immaculately dressed kitsune. He looked entirely different, but in a good way. She nodded her approval before turning back around to face Sesshōmaru. "So," she began, unsure of how to approach a conversation with the normally stoic demon lord.

"Follow me." Sesshōmaru commanded, easily taking charge as he made to lead his mate from the room.

Having had a previous friendly relationship with Yōko, Kagome felt more at ease around him, and so she easily took the kitsune by the hand before following after Sesshōmaru.

Mentally, Yōko smirked. _'You are making this too easy Kagome, my love.'_ he thought to himself, glad to have procured Kagome before the inu yōkai. Claiming the position as her favorite, would not be difficult. If he hadn't already. _'Ah the many treasures I'll be able to obtain within the Western Castle and none of the punishment to follow. With Kagome by my side, making sure the dog does not raise his claws for my harm, it will be as easy as commanding the plants around me.'_

* * *

"Show me the priestess." Ruby red eyes stared hard at the tiny figure of a young girl.

Obeying the command of her dark demon master, the young girl held out the mirror she kept in her grasp at all times. Her charcoal blank eyes flashed, before the mirror she held began to display images of what was happening elsewhere in the world.

Narrowing his eyes with growing anger, the shadowed yōkai growled. "What is the meaning of this Kanna? Do you seek to betray me as well?"

Shifting her blank eyes to focus on her master, Kanna shook her head slowly. "No, Master Naraku. …This is the priestess that you asked to view." she replied, seeing before her eyes what was playing out in her mirror. "But it would seem that Kikyō's curse …has finally stuck true. Kagome has mated and now she is a demon, no longer able to sense the shards… or keep you from winning the war as a human priestess."

Relaxing his features, Naraku smirked delightfully. "Wonderful. You please me greatly, Kanna."

Nodding, Kanna bowed. "I am happy to serve you, Master Naraku. …Shall I inform Kagura of the need to gather your troops, before leading them to finish off your enemies?" she asked.

"Hai. That will do." Naraku replied, waving his clawed hand to dismiss his nihility incarnate. Once alone in the dark room, Naraku allowed his delight over recent news, to show in his laughter.

"How I have longed for this day." he sighed, standing slowly and brushing the dirt from his hakamas. A deadly intent growing behind dark ruby eyes. "Now, I shall annihilate the priestess and her friends. And the Shikon, …I will have my wish and this world will crumble under my rule."

However, it was as luck would have it that Kanna had finally decided that she no longer had any need for the crazed hanyō that was her father. And unfortunately for Naraku, she had left out the minor and yet very important detail of whom Kagome had finally mated to.

Sliding the shoji screen aside and entering into the small room where her sister stayed, Kanna waited for Kagura's blood red orbs to meet her own.

"Kanna." Kagura whispered, seeing the look behind her elder sister's blank eyes, "Is the time finally upon us?"

Nodding her answer, Kanna watched as her sister smirked. "…Gather the troops."

"Of course, sister." Kagura said as she rose from the ground.

"You know…the signal?" Kanna questioned softly, walking beside the wind demon as they both made their way to the dead gardens behind Naraku's castle.

"Never forgot it." Kagura answered, sliding a feather from her obsidian locks. "Be back soon." she added, allowing her energy to make the feather grow, before hopping onto it and taking off into the night sky.

"Do not fail…Kagura. …Our lives …depend upon these very actions…" Though she was high in the sky, her sister's words reached her ears.

'_Soon, imoto. …I shall return to you your heart. …And I promise, that you'll never suffer again.'_ Turning around, Kanna slowly made her way back into the castle to see to all her master's needs in his final hours.

* * *

'_Come on you baka girl! You can't possibly believe that we would want you to leave because you can't sense the damn shards?!'_ Inuyasha fussed mentally. And yet, as he thought these words, all the times that he told Kagome that she was only his shard detector, came back to haunt him. _'Damnit! I'm the baka.'_

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm so fucking stupid!" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing a fistful of his silver locks and tugging angrily. Almost as if he were punishing himself.

Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, and Kaede all watched as he paced the earthen ground just outside of the barrier separating the garden from the village.

Shippou, Sango, and Miroku were helping Kaede tend to her garden while they waited, hoping and praying that Kagome would return. However, Inuyasha's pacing was a huge distraction, especially when he randomly shouted out how stupid he was every few minutes.

"Inuyasha?" a light, sensual voice called out, causing all of their heads to turn, eyes wide with hope.

"KAGOME!" Shippou yelled, leaping forward and clutching tightly to the soft silk of the girl's kimono, rubbing his face into her chest in his delight over her return. Kirara was acting similarly, only at Kagome's ankles and purring as she greeted her favorite time traveler.

Sango, Miroku, Kaede, and Inuyasha all held back, carefully watching both of the demons standing behind her.

"Kagome-imoto," Sango began carefully, noticing the changes in her friend. "Why are both Sesshōmaru-sama and Yōko with you?" the taijiya asked, highly curious as to why both powerful demons were so calm around each other, considering Sesshōmaru had run off with Yōko's mate last time she had seen them together.

Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Inuyasha all watched as Kagome blushed all the way to her roots. "U-uh, well, I," she began, stuttering with her nervousness.

"Oh my!" Kaede gasped, coming to the only realization that struck her with Kagome's reaction. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all looked at her, eyes demanding an answer.

"Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on!" Inuyasha yelled, growing angry with a lack of response.

Calmly stepping forward, Sesshōmaru glared at his younger half-brother. "You will show respect to the Lady of the Western Lands."

Slowly, coming to their own realizations, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all gasped just as Kaede had done.

"Ah, ah. Let's not forget that the lovely Kagome, is my mate too. Isn't that right, Kagome-koi?" Yōko asked rhetorically, pulling Kagome close to his body and running his hands through her hair fondly. All the while careful not to squish the younger fox demon still attached to his mate.

"Kagome-sama." Miroku said slyly, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively like his normal perverted self.

Kagome blushed again and buried her face in her mate, Yōko's chest.

"Miroku!!" both Sango and Inuyasha warned, hitting the monk over the head with their fists.

Pulling back to watch everything, Kagome could only smile, glad that she had decided to return.

"Kagome?" Shippou asked, slowly releasing his grasp on her kimono.

"Hai, Shippou-kun?" Kagome replied in return, ruby eyes watching patiently.

The young fox blushed and turned his sparkling greed gaze away from the demoness's face. "I'm glad you're back." he finally said softly. Feeling and hearing Kagome giggle, Shippou turned to look back up at her.

"Me too, Shippou-kun. Me too." Kagome agreed, lovingly hugging the smaller demon.

* * *

"So, Kaede-sama, can you sense what kind of… demon… I've become?" Kagome asked, her ruby eyes meeting Kaede's brown one.

Kaede was quiet for a moment, watching the young demoness shift uncomfortably on her knees, before sighing and shaking her head in the negative. "I'm apologize, Kagome-sama."

The demoness sighed sadly. "Thank you anyways, Kaede-sama."

"Nay child, ye did not let me finish. I can not tell what kind of demon ye are because the curse, which had the process been normal, would have made ye into the same demon as ye mate while still retaining the abilities ye gathered during previous transformations. However, ye have mated to two different types of demon. A silver kitsune and a silver inu. Ye are not either yet it would seem, that ye are some time of dog demon." Kaede explained.

Kagome and the everyone else's eyes widen at the elder miko's words.

"Kind of like a canine." Kagome wondered aloud.

"Canine?" Inuyasha asked, just as confused as everyone else.

"Uh yeah. In the future, people who study animals for a living, or scientists, have realized that at their core, animals like dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, etc. are all the same. They all each have similar instincts and evolved from one another, adapting certain traits to survive in their different habitats." explained Kagome.

"Ah." Miroku and Kaede nodded.

"This makes sense, Kagome-sama. Ye do feel as though ye could belong to each of those types of demons. It would make sense to go ahead and call ye one of these, ''Canine yōkai''. Ye may in fact be the first of ye kind." said Kaede.

"Wow Kagome! You're special." Shippou cheered in amazement, grabbing onto one of Kagome's clawed hands, and jumping with his excitement.

"Feh, figures that you'd go and screw up something else, changing it into something unheard of, baka girl." Inuyasha teased, arms crossed.

"Inuyasha, I have warned you before. Do not insult the Lady of the Western Lands. This will be the last time I tell you before I enforce punishment upon you for your ignorance." Sesshōmaru threatened, amber eyes narrowing and glaring into his half-brother's own amber orbs.

"Sesshōmaru-sama, please don't harm Inuyasha. He's just being his usual teasing self." Kagome pleaded, gently laying a hand on the demon lord's newly reformed left arm.

"Hn." the yōkai lord grunted, closing his eyes and pretending to ignore everyone around him.

"Kagome-sama, may I also add that I sense something else about you?" Miroku asked, unsure of his own thoughts.

"Hai, of course, Miroku-san." Kagome nodded, watching curiously as the monk sighed. Taking several moments to gather his thoughts, Miroku was startled when Inuyasha spoke up, impatiently.

"Keh, what the hell did you want to say?" the hanyō demanded.

"Inuyasha," Kaede warned.

"I sense that though you are no longer a human priestess, the energy and aura that you gave off to symbolize that you were one, is still there. And yet, it has changed at the very core to something yōki-like." explained Miroku.

All the eyes that were open, widened at the monk's words. All except for Yōko. However, he and Sesshōmaru both smirked.

"What does this mean then?" Kagome asked. "A-am I still.." She shook her head. "Of course I'm not a miko, Miroku-san. So what do you mean that I still **feel** like one?"

Miroku shrugged his shoulders. "I've explained the best way that I can, Kagome-sama."

"Then I shall explain further." Yōko announced, drawing all eyes but Sesshōmaru's to his form. The silver kitsune focused only on the gaze of his mate. "It is foolish and ignorant of humans to believe that they are the only civilized beings believing in powers stronger than their own. yōkai also have sacred spaces devoted to honoring the Kamis that bestowed upon us our own powers. The yōkai that spend their lives taking care of these shrines are nisou and sou that are in every sense, the same as a human priestess and priest. The only difference, our priests and priestesses, are demon. Tenma-Nisou and Tenma-Sou. You, Kagome-koi, are one of these long extinct Tenma-Nisou."

"Extinct?" Kagome repeated.

"Hai. Though our Tenma-Nisou and Tenma-Sou were protected from and unaffected by the purification of the human nisou and sou, this was the exact reason why all of our race's priests and priestesses were sought after. In order for the humans to believe that they were safe and had a special defense against our kind, they hunted after our own non-violent sou and nisou. For nearly seven hundred years, we yōkai have gone without nisou and sou. But we have yet to forget and forgive the humans for their transgressions against our kind." Sesshōmaru added.

"O-oh. Gomen." Kagome apologized, her head bowed. Sesshōmaru saw this and frowned.

"The Lady of the Western Lands never bows her head and apologizes for something she had nothing to do with." he said forcefully, gently lifting his mate's chin.

"Take your hands off of Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, standing quickly and putting a hand on his sword Tetsusaiga. Sesshōmaru carefully released Kagome's chin and fearsomely glared at his half-brother through the corner of his eye.

'_Mou!'_ Nearly every occupant of the small hut sighed mentally.

"So what kind of abilities did these Tenma-Nisou and Tenma-Sou, have?" Sango asked rather animatedly, very intrigued with this new information, and making sure Inuyasha didn't get himself killed.

"Other than being able to null purification from a human Tenma-Nisou and Sou still retained their heightened senses. They also were able to keep complete control over their inner beasts, where as even powerful yōkai like myself and Sesshōmaru, if we are angered to a certain extent, we will lose control of our beasts and they will rule us. Tenma-Nisou and Sou were all gifted with the ability to extend their nullification to other yōkai under their care. There were more than likely additional abilities, but with the passage of time knowledge of these Tenma-Nisou and Sou and all their abilities has faded." answered Yōko.

"Sugoi!" Kagome whispered. Catching Kaede's gaze with her own, she scoot closer to the aged priestess. "Kaede-sama, will you please try to purify me so I can see how this null power I have works?" the demoness asked, holding out her hand.

"Kagome!" both Yōko and Sesshōmaru growled, furious at their mate's request.

"Kagome-imoto, is that really the best idea? We're not even sure if you are one of these Tenma-Nisou." Sango asked.

"Hai, Kagome-sama. Perhaps we should wait." Miroku added.

Huffing, Kagome turned back around to glare at her friends and mates. Placing her clawed hands on her hips, "Wait for what? A priestess with true deadly intent to really go after me. At least here I can trust Kaede-sama, and if I'm not really a Tenma-Nisou, then I won't be purified to death." she reasoned.

"Keh, baka girl." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath, forgetting the fact that Kagome's senses were no longer dull ningen ones.

"Osuwari!" Kagome said, watching with smug satisfaction as her hanyō friend plummeted to the ground below.

"Alright, Kagome-sama. I shall help ye in testing ye abilities. But only once." Kaede resigned.

Turning back to the human priestess, Kagome smiled. "Arigatou, Kaede-sama." she thanked, holding her hand out once more.

Taking a deep breath, Kaede began to focus her powers on a small portion of Kagome's hand. A pink light began to engulf the index finger that lightly touched the area of skin in the center of Kagome's clawed hand.

Everyone, including Inuyasha whom had just risen from his hole in the ground, watched with bated breath, waiting for the smell of burning flesh. They were instead rewarded when a soft blue colored light rose from Kagome's hand where Kaede's finger touched. It expanded, quickly protecting Kagome from the purification by enveloping her entire hand until the appendage was covered in the colored hand-shaped shield.

Amazed, Kaede pulled her finger away from Kagome's hand, allowing her powers to fade as she watched Kagome's hand glow for a few more seconds before the blue light began to gather in the palm of the demoness's hand in a small, sky colored marble.

All eyes watched the small round ball curiously, none more so than Kagome's. "Hm," she wondered, watching as the energy hovered less than a inch away from her hand.

"Do ye have any idea what this could be, Sesshōmaru-sama, Yōko-sama?" Kaede asked, turning her eye to watch the two silver yōkai. Neither of them had an answer, and as Kaede turned her gaze to watch Kagome's face, she saw as the demoness's eyes widened a fraction before the Tenma-Nisou quickly straightened her arm to face the doorway of Kaede's hut. Just as Kagome did this, the small ball of energy shot out of the palm of her hand and out of the doorway quicker than any of their eyes could see.

"What the he-" Inuyasha was interrupted when from outside, there was a loud explosion. Quickly following the explosion was a wave of yōki laced with the energy that only Tenma-Nisou and Sou gave off. This wave of energy blew through the hut with such a ferocity that the occupants had to shield their eyes from the debris blowing in. The fire that had been calmly flickering in the middle of the hut, blew out.

When the wave passed, all eyes focused on Kagome whom was still quietly seated in front of Kaede. "Oops?" Blinking once, she stood. "I'll go see if anyone's hurt." she offered quickly before disappearing from the hut.

"I do believe that that, was something new." Yōko said, tapping a claw against his chin thoughtfully. "It is almost as if Kagome was able to absorb the energy that Kaede was using for purification, and then focus it and turn it into some type of explosive. …Hm, fascinating."

"Fascinating?! If that was Kaede's purification, then that shit could have killed us!" Inuyasha raved angrily.

"Must you be so surly?" Sesshōmaru asked, glaring what could have been the millionth time at his brother.

Inuyasha returned his brother's look with one of his own and was just about to open his mouth with a response when screams of fear reached the occupants of the hut, interrupting any jibe.

"Kagome!" Everyone yelled as they raced from the hut to check out what was going on. As soon as the yōkai of the group stepped foot outside they were hit with the strong scent of blood and fear. The sight that greeted them, was of an army of demons running about slicing any human that they could get their hands on.

"How the hell did all of these cowards get past my senses?" Inuyasha growled, drawing Tetsusaiga, the fang transforming just as quickly as its master had brandished it.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, throwing the large boomerang to slice through a particularly large demon and saving a villager. As the weapon returned the taijiya it sliced through three more smaller demons.

Sesshōmaru drew Toukijin and cut through the demon closest to him.

"Rose Whip!" A thorn covered stem-like whip flipped through the air, slicing through ten demons before returning back to Yōko.

"Raar!" Kirara growled snapping her jaw closed around another demon about to unthinkingly take a human life.

"Fox Fire!" Shippou yelled from the nekomata's back, blue flames engulfed the demon trying to perform a sneak attack from behind Kirara. "Behind you, Kirara-chan!" the kitsune cub announced and Kirara quickly turned around to finish the demon that Shippou had stunned for her.

"I've got your back, Kaede-sama." Miroku assured, beating away demons while the aged priestess shot her arrows through the masses of demon that seemed to have no end.

Phasing out and then back in beside Yōko, Sesshōmaru used his own poisonous whip to slice through the army. "Find Kagome." the inu growled out to the silver fox.

Yōko smirked and nodded. Yanking his whip back to his side, Yōko kneeled to the ground and closed his eyes. Placing his left hand with a tiny seed underneath on the to earthen floor, he searched for his mate through their bond and found that she surrounded by several high level demons. "Soukatsuteki-Biniesu!" the silver kitsune whispered, forcing his yōki into the earth. The seed in his hand burst open and the vines it grew snaked through ground, underneath everyone's feet. Reaching their destination, they shot from the ground and wrapped securely around the Tenma-Nisou, before dragging her with them back underground.

"KYA!" Yōko heard Kagome scream, but ignored it knowing that she was just frightened by the sudden attack.

The ground below Yōko's kneeled form shook viciously before the vines – Kagome still wrapped tightly in them – shot up from the ground. Having done his job, Yōko stood before skillfully slicing through several more demon that had slipped past Sesshōmaru's whip.

Unsure of what just happened, Kagome looked around to find that she was surrounded by her friends and mates. "Yōko?" she asked, standing carefully.

Hearing his name, Yōko looked back to see that Kagome had a few small scratches on her face, and her kimono was shredded in several small areas. "Nothing fatal?" he asked, unpleased with the fact that his mate had gone unprotected for such a long amount of time and had been injured.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled from nearby, sure that all the villagers that could be saved were out of the way before letting loose the disastrous attack. This gave Sesshōmaru enough time to see to his mate.

"Are you unharmed?" the silver inu asked, pulling his demoness close to him and delicately sniffing her scent for any fatal injuries.

"Iie, I'm okay." Kagome assured both of her mates, smiling brightly for them both.

"Stay close to us." Sesshōmaru said to her, making sure he had her consent and understanding, before turning back around to finish off the last of the demons.

"Kukuku," a foreboding voice laughed.

Knowing of none other than the devil himself with that insane cackle, the fading sea of demons parted to reveal the group of three powerful hanyō. Naraku, Kagura, and Kanna all stood silently, waiting for their enemies to make the first move.

"Long time no see, Inuyasha." Naraku spoke calmly, and with an air of dark entitlement. "Now where is that lovely priestess of yours? …Oh yes, that's right. She's no longer your loyal priestess, but some other yōkai's mate. Ah, how could I forget?"

"Bastard." Inuyasha growled, tightening his grip on Tetsusaiga.

"I'm right here, Naraku!" Kagome announced, stepping forward and drawing attention to herself, a smirk on dancing across her features. "And I'd like you to meet my mates."

'_Mates?!'_

"Lord of the Western Province, Inu-taiyōkai, Sesshōmaru. And Legendary Bandit, Kitsune-taiyōkai, Yōko."

Snarling ferociously, Naraku turned his ruby gaze – which was beginning to leak blood red with rage – to glare dangerously at the one whom he thought to be most loyal. "What is the meaning of this, Kanna?!" Snatching the girl by the front of her white kimono, "Why didn't you show me this?! Why did keep this from me?!"

Kanna smirked even as her charcoal eyes stayed blank. "Because... You are no longer worthy of my power... Shin-e." Kanna replied calmly and just as softly as she normally behaved. And as Naraku brought his free clawed hand back to end his disobedient and disloyal incarnate's life, Kagura struck him with her winds, whisking Kanna away in the brief second that he was stunned.

Watching them land beside Inuyasha, symbolizing and solidifying their switch to his enemy's team, Naraku roared angrily. "You will regret this. I swear it." he vowed lowly.

With one final roar, he directed his remaining soldiers forward, charging behind them, finally ready to end this long drawn-out war.

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Sugoi, I actually got this out before another year could pass. O.O …… Amazing. Truly amazing.

Soukatsuteki-Biniesu, the technique Yōko used to call Kagome to him by way of underground vines, translates to, "all-embracing vines". Cool, huh?

Now, don't expect another chapter for a while. I'm working on my first Inu-Yasha/Bleach crossover and so that will be taking up most of my creative time. It is a response to pheonixstar123's request to write a Tōshirō/Kagome pairing.

QUCIK QUESTION! Do any of you know exactly how old Tōshirō Hitsugaya is?

And although I already have planned on how to play off the romance between the two, I'd much appreciate an answer. I figure he's somewhere near eighteen, considering that he appeared about eight in the memories of him and Momo together while eating watermelon. And then as a captain, it takes about ten years to achieve Bankai. Not to mention another ten years to master it, which he has yet to do. But hell if I know!

So anyways, be on the look out for that. It will have the title "No Need to Apologize". The summary will explain why that is the way I made it.

Now, all I ask of you is to please leave a review.

Sincerely Yours,

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


	8. VIII

**Cursed**

**Summary:** Inu-Yasha |x| Yu Yu Hakusho

Because of her incarnation's curse, every new moon she turns into a lusting demon. Her friends have always been there to keep her from trouble, but one night of the new moon, no one is there to save her. If she mates, then she will not only always be bound to that male, but she will stay a demon forever. Will she be stopped in time?

* * *

_**May 30th, 2008**_

_**| Revised: April 24th, 2010 |**_

* * *

Trying to resist the urge to throw-up, Kagome inched closer to Kaede, whom had long since fallen during the long battle, completely out of arrows and energy. She was still alive, but completely exhausted. Looking around, Kagome was met with destruction coated heavily in blood. All of the villagers had been slaughtered and the only survivors were those who fought against Naraku. The village had been decimated.

The sounds of metal clashing against metal rang through Kagome's sensitive ears as Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru attacked Naraku at the same time. The dark hanyō had grown several new appendages and seemed to be easily fending off the inu brothers as well as the attacks of Kagura.

Sango and Miroku stood together, both fighting to save Sango's younger brother, Kohaku. The younger taijiya fought with all his might under Naraku's control and Sango desperately called to him while Miroku was there to support the female taijiya emotionally.

Shippou and Kirara, both exhausted from the battle that had drug on for nearly two hours now, sat next to Kagome and Kaede.

Kanna, the only one whom did not have any injuries, stood behind Kagome, peering into her mirror and into the future to find and opening against her former master. Yōko stood next to her, completely untrusting of the nihility demoness while she was so close to his mate.

"I've grown entirely too sick of this. Shin-e you dogs! Roll over and die!" Naraku growled, the swords in his three pairs of arms all swung as one, knocking both Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha off their weary feet before the six blades stabbed the inu hanyō through his stomach.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed, standing quickly to race towards her friend's fallen body. Yōko's strong arms were the only things stopping her from running into the fray. And even though she knew it was dangerous, Kagome fought her mate's hold, tears pouring down her cheeks as she cried.

"Forget him, Kagome." Yōko whispered in her ear, but Kagome shook her head and continued her struggles. Her tearful gaze watching Naraku laugh cruelly as he yanked his blades from Inuyasha's body, before turning to face the battle worn Sesshōmaru.

"Now, it's your turn." the dark hanyō stated, taking slow steps towards the taiyōkai. Blood covered blades raised above his head, Naraku paused and smirked down at Sesshōmaru. "Shin-e." Watching in slow motion as the blades moved towards her mate's body, something inside her snapped and Kagome's eyes sparked a bright white glow.

Behind her, Yōko felt his body go slack and was barely able to turn his head before he realized that his sudden lack of movement was all Kanna's doing. "Let her go." Kanna said to Yōko softly and against the kitsune's will, his arms released his hold on Kagome's body. As soon as he did so, Kagome – not at all in control of her body – phased out before his amber colored eyes, appearing just as quickly beside Naraku, her aura glowing brightly around her.

'_Kagome.'_ Sesshōmaru and Yōko thought frantically. They both watched as she grabbed Naraku by the throat and pinned him to the ground. They were however, not expecting the howls of pain that spilled from Naraku's mouth.

"No, Naraku… You die." she growled before her aura exploded, obliterating Naraku's body into nothing and purifying his soul, sending it off to deal with all that karma had in store. Once the deed was done, as she slowly regained her senses, Kagome's eyes faded back to ruby red. Blinking, she peered around the clearing, a look of confusion upon her face, before the look melted away and she fell to the ground in a dead faint.

"Kagome!"

* * *

"Kohaku!" Sango screamed, reaching out to catch her younger brother as he fell to the ground. Falling into her arms, Sango felt that his body was no longer warm, but ice cold to her touch. Fearful brown eyes searching his back, "KOHAKU!" she shrieked, realizing that the Shikon shard sustaining his life, was no longer in his back.

A bright flash pulled her and Miroku's gaze to the shard that was hovering several feet off the ground. The same height as where the shard would have been in Kohaku's back if he were still standing. Struggling to stand, Sango reached for the shard to place back into her brother's body, however, her hand was met with a barrier that sent a painful shock through her own body. "No!" Sango cried, trying again for the shard. However, this time the shard blinked away from view. "NO! Kohaku, don't leave me!" the taijiya cried, sinking to the ground and gripping her brother's clothes as she sobbed into his freezing chest.

Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, and Kaede all watched the sorrowful taijiya. Not knowing what to do, Miroku kneeled to pull Sango into his hold, soothingly running his hands through her hair. Her tears soaking his monk robes.

Yōko, upon regaining control of his body, turned blood red orbs to Kanna. Furious at the nihility hanyō for having done what she did.

"Kagome was the only one who could kill Naraku. I will not apologize for what I have done." Kanna said simply. Her sister Kagura, swept in at just the right time, saving Kanna from the raging kitsune demon before she lost her head.

"Don't you think you should tend to your mate?" Kagura taunted. She and Kanna safely hovering on her feather. "See you later!" she called, before the sisters were whisked away by the winds. Finally free from their hanyō father.

With a fierce snarl, Yōko forced his beast to calm, before turning to do as the arrogant wind hanyō had suggested. As he neared Sesshōmaru, who was holding Kagome, "Give her to me." Yōko demanded. The only thing he got was a vicious growl from the inu yōkai.

"You're the reason she's like this now."

"Iie, speak to that bitch Kanna and her sister Kagura. They had this whole battle planned from the start. Now give me my mate so that I may check her for injuries." Yōko retorted, narrowing his amber eyes at the possessive dog.

"Keh, …you bastards need to stop… fighting over her! She hates that." Sesshōmaru and Yōko turned to find Inuyasha struggling to stand. He was leaning heavily upon Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha, I thought you were dead." Sesshōmaru said, slightly disappointed.

"Feh, Naraku couldn't kill me even if he did get that wish from the Shikon." the hanyō retorted haughtily. "See, I'm already healing." He was right, the wounds that Naraku had inflicted were already closing. "I was only out for as long as I was because I was still regaining my demon blood after my transformation yesterday."

"Mmm," Kagome groaned as she came to. All three of the silver demon's gazes turned to watch her as she struggled to sit, only to find that Sesshōmaru was standing with her held tightly in his arms. "Ano, could you please release me?" she asked, blinking once as she looked up into her mate's eyes.

"No." Sesshōmaru replied firmly.

"Feh, bastard." Inuyasha grumbled. Having regained enough strength to stand on his own, he sheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped, hearing his voice brought back memories that her mind had been content to forget for a while. Her ruby eyes looked in amazement as the hanyō greeted her with an unusual gruff smile.

"Yo. I'm fine, no need to get your underwear in a bunch." the hanyō assured, watching Kagome as she struggled in her mate's hold.

"Kagome!" Sesshōmaru growled, glaring at his mate to stop. He nearly rolled his eyes when she pouted.

"Sango! Wait, this is not the best course of action!" Miroku shouted.

Inuyasha and Kagome were both shocked when Sango appeared before Sesshōmaru with a glare on her face. She was not glaring at the yōkai lord, but rather his mate.

"Give it to me!" Sango demanded, tear soaked face telling Kagome that Kohaku had not survived the battle.

"Sango-chan, …I'm sorry about Kohaku." Kagome said softly, biting her lip.

"Give it to me!" Sango shrieked, startling her best friend.

"You will refrain from using that tone with my mate." Sesshōmaru growled threateningly at the taijiya. Sango might be Kagome's friend, but right now with the way she was acting, he had no qualms about killing her to defend his mate.

"I'm not talking to you." Sango said lowly. Fed up with having to wait, she reached for Kagome's neck.

Kagome shrieked in fear.

"Sango!" Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kaede yelled, stunned by the demon slayers bold actions.

"Let go!" Sango yelled, struggling against Yōko's strong grip. The kitsune and inu mates of Kagome had reacted quickly. And while Yōko had grabbed Sango as soon as she had reached for the tenma-nisou's neck, Sesshōmaru had stepped back quickly, not allowing her near the demoness in his arms.

"I won't allow that damn jewel or Naraku to kill my little brother. Now give me the Shikon!"

Feeling deeply for her friend, Kagome reached up to grasp the small shard that she always kept around her neck. Eyes widening, Kagome looked down and used both her hands to pat around her neck.

"It's not there! It's gone!" she exclaimed, panicking. Everyone's eyes fell upon her. "The Shikon no Tama has disappeared."

Just as the words left her mouth, a bright flash ripped through the decimated village, leaving behind the complete form of the once shattered Shikon no Tama hovering just an arm's length away from Kagome. It glowed with a radiant pink power, twinkling brightly.

Reaching out a clawed hand, Kagome carefully took the jewel into her grasp, cradling it preciously. And in response to her presence, the jewel hummed happily, glad to have finally been returned to it's Guardian without any flaws about its physical presence.

"Kagome-imoto, please?" Sango whimpered, her form slack in Yōko's grasp.

Her heart going out to her best friend, Kagome nodded. However, the Shikon no Tama had other plans and in another bright flash that drew everyone's attention to the extraordinary cursed jewel, the Shikon no Tama began to sink past the flesh of Kagome's hand, disappearing into her body.

Feeling a pain shoot through her chest, Kagome shucked in a sharp breath and grasped a clawed hand around the silk covering her chest, whimpering as the pain intensified. It felt similar to the time the witch Urasue had pulled her soul from her body to give to Kikyō's clay body and all those months she had spent living off half a soul.

Thrusting Sango into a stunned Inuyasha's arms, Yōko stalked forward and took Kagome from Sesshōmaru's hold. "Kagome-koi, relax." the kitsune whispered, sliding a seed into her dark locks before encouraging the seed's growth with his spirit energy. What sprouted was a white rose that, as Kagome took a deep breath, spread a soothing scent throughout her body, acting as a painkiller.

Panting tiredly, Kagome leaned her head against Yōko's shoulder, closing her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

"What the hell was that about? What's wrong with her?" Inuyasha demanded, forcing Sango into the arms of Miroku when he had appeared at his side.

"It would seem that the Shikon no Tama has become a part of Kagome's soul." Yōko replied, speaking softly so as not to awaken the tenma-nisou that had just fallen asleep. Turning, he began to make his way over to the aged priestess's hut. The only hut still standing. Sesshōmaru followed to make sure that his mate was well protected while she slept to adjust to her newest change.

"You mean to tell us that Kagome-sama is now the embodiment of the Shikon no Tama?" Miroku repeated skeptically, leading Sango after the kitsune yōkai.

"Then what the hell does that mean for those of us that have a wish for that damned jewel?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Apparently, the spirits and souls making up the jewel have decided that the only way to keep the Shikon no Tama from being used and kept in a perfectly balanced state, is to meld with Kagome's soul. Now, Inuyasha, perhaps you can find a way to keep that filthy mouth of yours closed. My mate needs rest, not to have to listen to your whining over a lost wish." Sesshōmaru growled.

"Oh dear." Kaede said, easily understanding what they were talking about, despite having just joined in on the conversation. With a sigh, she held open the doorway for Yōko so that he could lay Kagome down for a more comfortable rest.

"But... Kohaku!" Sango reminded everyone, pulling against Miroku's grip to free her arm. Before she had time to realize what had happened, Sesshōmaru had gripped Sango by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Kaede, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, and Inuyasha's eyes widened fearfully.

"Bastard! Put Sango down!" Inuyasha yelled, clawed hand reaching for Tetsusaiga.

"I have heard more than enough of your whining about your dead brother. If you disturb my mate's sleep, I will shred your brother's body into so many pieces that he will be beyond even the Shikon's repair." Sesshōmaru threatened, ignoring his half-brother's demands.

Narrowing her eyes at the demon lord that was ever so slightly choking her, "You cold-hearted bastard. You may not have cared to experience the rewards of having a younger brother to care for, but I have. And I will see to it that Kagome shames you in front of your people if you even dare to make good on that threat of yours." Sango spat.

Now realizing that threats, demands, and asking nicely would not deter the taijiya, Sesshōmaru released her neck from his hold, uncaring of any broken bones she might endure from the fall. His main focus was the rotting corpse of Sango's brother.

Gently grasping her throat and coughing, Sango looked up to see where the inu yōkai was going only to widen her eyes in fear. "Stop! Leave Kohaku alone!" she shrieked, standing as quickly as she could and rushing to chase after the one demon that she knew she shouldn't piss off, but seemed to have done so anyways.

She was too slow and paused to watch as the angry demon lord drew his sword. As if in slow motion, Sango watched as the sword fell and sliced through her brother's body. Sinking to her hands and knees, Sango wailed miserably.

"Silence!" she heard Sesshōmaru growl at her. "Now stand." Refusing to show any respect to the demon she could sense now standing in front of her, Sango was prepared to smack away the hand that forcefully brought her to her knees until she saw her brother's body held in the demon lord's grasp. And when Sesshōmaru held Kohaku's body out for her to take, she could see the gentle rise and fall of her younger brother's chest.

"K-Kohaku?" she whispered hopefully, taking his body into her grasp and holding him tenderly. His skin was warm to the touch and Sango couldn't stop the now joyful tears that rolled down her cheeks.

"Take your brother and leave. If I sense you anywhere near my mate, I will make you watch as I kill your brother, and then I will kill you." Sesshōmaru stated dangerously. And this time, Sango knew that he was not making idle threats. He was being completely serious as he glared at her with unblinking amber eyes.

And though she was in the cold-hearted demon's debt, she could not, would not leave Kagome. They had become sisters. And she had to apologize to her sister for her shameful actions, demanding the Shikon and even going so far as to try and steal it.

"I can't. I need to make sure that Kagome-chan doesn't hate me for what I've done."

Pretending as though he had not heard a word she said, Sesshōmaru turned on his heel and began making his way back to the hut where his mate slept.

And afraid for her and her brother's lives, Sango simply watched him return back to the hut, disappearing inside. Once he was gone, Sango carefully met the gazes of her friends with pained yet still relieve chocolate colored eyes.

They all looked back at her, unsure of what to do or say. Sesshōmaru had made it very clear that he did not want to see Sango or her brother, ever. And knowing that the inu yōkai was most serious, they did not wish to upset him and force him to make good on his threat. Not when a friend's life was at stake.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku said, his lavender gaze intent on the demon slayers several feet ahead of them, instead of the half demon he was now talking to.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha answered. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the exterior wall of the hut.

"I need to go with Sango-sama." Finally meeting the hanyō's gaze, "Tell Kagome-sama that we will meet again someday."

Knowing that this was goodbye, as the final battle had finally been won, Inuyasha nodded. "I will. Take care, Miroku. And be sure to keep Sango and Kohaku alive. Kagome would go crazy if any of you died."

Miroku chuckled and nodded. "For the sake of Kagome's sanity, we will. Come on, Kirara." The small nekomata jumped and landed gently on Miroku's shoulder as the monk slowly began making his way toward the taijiya brother and sister pair.

"Miroku? What are you doing?" Sango asked, watching as the monk took Kohaku from her grasp, situating the boy on his back before he helped her to stand.

"Come now, Sango-sama, you should now me better than that by now." Miroku playfully chastised, smiling his usual smile.

"Well yes, but before I take Kohaku, I wanted to at least try to see Kagome-chan."

"Ah, for now, Sango-sama, I think it best that we leave. When Kagome awakes and Inuyasha has the chance to explain things to her, then I'm most certain that we shall once again see her. But for now, while she is resting, upsetting her mates is not the best course of action." Miroku advised. "Wave goodbye to everyone." Lifting her arm, Miroku helped the demon slayer to wave to their friends before gently leading Sango away from the village.

Pulling against Miroku and keeping her feet to the ground, Sango resisted. "But-"

"Sango! Please don't try to force the situation. We've finally beaten Naraku and you have Kohaku back, well and alive. Do you really want the first thing he learns of when he wakes up to be your death? Because if you continue with what you're doing, that is exactly what is going to happen." Miroku was quickly becoming frustrated with Sango's stubbornness. He could understand her need to right things with Kagome, as they had become so very close during their travels. But couldn't she see that he was only worried about her and didn't want her to get hurt?

Meeting Miroku's lavender gaze, the monk was quick to notice the tears gathering in Sango's eyes. "I didn't mean to upset Kagome or either of her mates like I did. But with the final battle and having to fight Kohaku, and then when everything was finished, to lose my brother so quickly after I fought to save him for so long, I didn't mean to lose my patience so quickly with Kagome. It was the Shikon I was mad at." she insisted. Relaxing and deciding not to struggle against Miroku anymore, "We searched so hard and fought so hard, and when we finally beat Naraku, it took Kohaku from me, just like that. No goodbyes, nothing! It just felt like… all that I had been doing, was for nothing. I didn't know that the jewel would disappear like that. I would have never been so adamant about using the Shikon to bring Kohaku back had I known that Kagome would have to suffer like she is. Never for my imoto." Sango cried, leaning against Miroku for support.

Miroku closed his eyes and pulled Sango closer, sighing sadly for the woman that he had come to love deeply. "I know, Sango. I know." he whispered gently.

* * *

"What the hell did you use on her?" Inuyasha growled, glaring at Yōko from across the flame in the center of Kaede's hut. The hanyō was seated upon the wooden floor with his arms crossed. Beside him sat Kaede.

Shippou was snuggled against Kagome, gently playing with a lock of her hair.

"I used a sedative that keeps its victim unconscious until the pain that they are feeling passes. The scent of that particular plant was only strongest during the first two days that Kagome was asleep and has long since passed. These past several days, in what I can only guess from it's calm hovering power, have been the Shikon's doing." Yōko explained simply. His amber eyes were hidden from the world as he leaned comfortably against the wall of the hut while seated with one leg stretched out and the other bent to allow his left arm to rest lazily against it. His right clawed hand was gently combing through his mate's hair in a similar manner as the other kitsune yōkai inside the hut.

"The Shikon? Why they hell would it be keeping her asleep?" Inuyasha demanded, shifting uncomfortably in his concern for his best friend.

"Perhaps, it is helping her to adjust to it's intrusion into her soul." answered Sesshōmaru with a hint of annoyance at his half-brother's continuous questions. "Don't you have a brain to answer these questions yourself, or has the mixture of human stupidity and demonic brilliance left you at an impasse?"

Soft melodic giggles followed Sesshōmaru's taunt, halting Inuyasha in his attempts to attack his brother. Everyone quickly looked to see Kagome shaking with her laughter before she moved slowly to sit up. Everyone, with the exception of Kagome herself and those whom would not be caught dead expressing emotion openly, gasped gently when she opened her eyes.

"That wasn't very nice Sesshōmaru-sama. Funny, but not very kind." she chastised lightly.

Instead of answering her scolding with a reply, Sesshōmaru carefully took in the slight changes that his mate had undergone with the fusion between her soul and the souls within the Shikon no Tama.

No longer were her eyes narrowed aristocratically, instead they had become wide eyes with large ruby red irises that nearly engulfed the speck of a dark pupil that allowed her to see.

Her once dark shoulder length hair had grown until it reached her waist. The curves of the locks that once set her apart from Kikyō were no more as her hair had straightened perfectly. There were locks of her hair that were cut shorter than the rest, hanging just nearly three inches above her chin. Still shorter, were bangs that hung just at her thin, but perfectly sculpted dark eyebrows. And though this was not any different since her permanent transformation into a yōkai, the mark in the center of her forehead, just slightly above her eyebrows, was.

It was the same mark that the legendary priestess Midoriko had once carried.

"Kagome-koi, how are you feeling?" Yōko asked, gently pulling his mate's body into his lap and turning her to face him.

"Yōko," Kagome whispered, silently taking in the features of his face.

"Kagome?" Yōko repeated, carefully tilting her chin up so that he could stare into her eyes. He couldn't help but smirk when a blush took hostage of the skin of his mate's face.

"F-fine." she stuttered in reply, lowering her gaze to his chin.

"Just fine?" Yōko teased, twitching a single eyebrow upwards in curiosity. "Well, perhaps I can steal you away for a few hours to help you feel better than just 'fine'." Winking suggestively at the tenma-nisou in his lap, the silver kitsune made to move, lifting Kagome in his grasp when nearly everyone protested.

"Yōko!" Kagome exclaimed, blushing brighter than before.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha snarled furiously, standing quickly and drawing his sword, Tetsusaiga.

"Take your filthy thieving hands off of _my mate__** immediately**_." Sesshōmaru growled, glaring at his mate's mate.

Pouting sadly, Yōko re-situated himself back against the wall, but did not let Kagome out of his hold. "I expected the reactions of Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru, but you Kagome-koi. I did not expect you to protest, but that is fine. I'm most certain I can persuade you later, when we have more time to ourselves."

"Keh, like hell I'll let you go anywhere with Kagome, ya pervert!" Inuyasha scoffed, glaring hatefully at the silver kitsune.

"Ano, speaking of perverts. Where is Miroku-sama? …And Sango-ane? I know she was upset about Kohaku, but I need to know if she's okay." Kagome asked, looking around the hut for any signs of her friends. When she couldn't find any, Kagome instead looked into the faces of Inuyasha, Kaede, and Shippou. None of them were the least bit comforting to the tenma-nisou.

"Kagome," Kaede began, pausing for a moment when the words she wanted to say became unclear.

"I'll take care of it, Kaede." Inuyasha sighed, pushing himself to stand and securing his Tetsusaiga in the sash at his waist, before moving forward to hold a hand out for Kagome. "Come on, Kagome. Let's go for a walk."

Blinking silently, Kagome took the offered hand and quickly stood. "Inuyasha, should I be worried?" she asked, allowing the hanyō to lead her from the hut. Behind her, she could hear both of her mates moving to follow after her. But before either of them could make their way out of the hut, Inuyasha had scooped her up into his arms and leaped gracefully into the sky and towards the tree line. Landing gracefully, he took off with inhuman speed, stopping only when he had reached the small clearing where in the center stood the Goshinboku.

Releasing Kagome from his hold carefully, Inuyasha moved slowly towards the immense tree. Curiously, Kagome watched the hanyō silently for several moments. But after she was sure enough time had been spent and none of her questions about her missing friends had been answered, Kagome was quick to end the silence.

"Inuyasha," she began slowly. "where are they? Did something happen? Because what I last remember is Sango very upset about her brother, and very adamant about using the Shikon to bring him back to life. But it disappeared into me so I don't know what happened afterwards. …Inuyasha… please tell me."

In a manner unlike himself, Inuyasha sighed. Turning back to, Kagome he gently led her to the ground before sitting beside her.

"You've been asleep for a little more than two weeks now."

Hearing Kagome gasp, "Well how long have Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, and Kirara been gone?" she asked, her eyes glowing with concern.

"Since the day you first fell asleep." Inuyasha answered simply. However, before Kagome could open her mouth to ask more questions, Inuyasha continued. "And you should know that Sesshōmaru used the Tenseiga to bring Kohaku back from the dead. But, Sango was acting kinda unusual in a nagging and whining way, and because he didn't want her to disturb you, before he used the Tenseiga, Sesshōmaru made it clear that she was not to be anywhere near you ever again or he would make her watch as he killed Kohaku before killing her. So Miroku went with them to make sure they were taken care of until you awoke."

Seeing Kagome's stunned expression and silence, Inuyasha added a few last words that he knew Kagome would be used to hearing from him. "That way when you did wake up and I had a chance to tell you everything, you could put that dumb-ass half-brother of mine back in his place." It didn't work, at least not in the way that he had been hopping.

"Of course Sango-chan would be upset!" Kagome practically yelled. "Naraku had been controlling her brother for the longest time and she spent several months, years, doing all she could to save her brother more than a few times from returning to death. And then the final battle is over and it turns out to be anticlimactic. But after having been fighting against her brother for so long and then having him just die suddenly, even after she spent the entire battle keeping from landing one blow to him. I can understand why she lashed out and I know that she didn't mean to hurt me at all. She was just probably running on adrenaline and sorrow and lashed out at me because I was the one that the Shikon no Tama picked as it's guardian. I don't blame Sango-ane at all! I just… have you spoken with her at all? Have you seen her? Is she okay? Was she okay with what Sesshōmaru said? Is Kohaku okay?" having finally reached her limit, Kagome allowed the tears that had gathered to fall, leaning against Inuyasha for support.

"I don't know." Inuyasha answered, calmly holding onto the sobbing tenma-nisou. "But I do know that Sango was almost willing to forget about Kohaku just to make sure that you didn't hate her for what she did, and were okay from the Shikon's decision to make you it's permanent guardian."

Sniffling, "Really?" Kagome whispered, not trusting her voice to handle anymore stress.

"Yeah. Miroku had to practically drag her from the village." he knew he was exaggerating a little, but he also knew that Kagome needed to hear something that would tug even a tiny smile on her face. And he would say anything to help her smile, especially when part of the reason she was so upset was because of his own brother.

"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke softly, her tearful gaze carefully peering up at the inu hanyō. "Please tell me you know where they are."

"Feh, lucky for you there is a village about a day away from here that decided to stay in. I was able to visit them once a week." Inuyasha replied.

Frowning in confusion, "Once a week?" Kagome repeated. "How long have I been out?" Inuyasha had already told her, but in her slight panic, she had missed what had been said.

"Nearly a three weeks. But from your damn mates' observations, just two of those days were because of his sedative. The others were the Shikon's doing."

"Three weeks?!"

"K-Kagome-chan?" a familiar voice called out, stopping Kagome from getting all worked up about how long she was asleep.

Turning quickly, Kagome was relieved to find the rest of her friends standing at the edge of the clearing.

"Sango-chan… Miroku-sama… Kirara-chan… Kohaku-san. I'm-I'm so glad to see you all!" standing quickly, Kagome rushed forward to be met by Sango's strong embrace.

"Oh, Kagome-chan. I'm so sorry for what happened. Can you ever find it in your kind heart to forgive me?" Sango asked softly, tears gathering in her eyes at the memories of what had happened just shy of a month ago.

Pulling back slightly from the woman she had come to love as an older sister, Kagome smiled brightly. "Sango-chan, I never blamed you. So there's no need for me to forgive you."

_'Kaede-sama's right, Kagome is so strong.'_ the demon slayer thought to herself quietly.

"Kagome-koi."

The happy reunion was cut short when Yōko's smooth voice was heard and his presence seen as he appeared quietly beside his mate.

"Yōko I-, please don't tell Sesshōmaru. From what I heard, he threatened Sango-chan and Kohaku-san. And I-"

"Hey, relax, love. I'm here to tell you that Sesshōmaru is on his way here. He doesn't know that they are here though, just that you've been alone with his half-brother long enough." Yōko interrupted.

"Oh,"

"Thank you, Yōko-san. Come then, Sango-sama, Kohaku-san, it is time for us to leave." Miroku advised, moving forward to pull Sango away from Kagome. "And, Kagome-sama, it is probably best you use some sort of scent disguising spell to hide that we have been here."

Her feelings of sadness grew as her friends turned to leave, and it was then that Kagome decided she could take no more. "No! Don't go anywhere. I'm going to fix this." Kagome said firmly, grabbing onto Sango's hand and turning to face the trees where she could sense her mate approaching.

"Kagome-imoto?" Sango questioned, watching the younger girl with a stunned gaze. "Are you sure that you want to do this? I mean this is Sesshōmaru we're talking about. He may be your mate but,-"

"I'm sure. He's had a problem with my choice of friends for a while now and I'm going to fix it. Like I told you before, you have no right to tell me who I can and can't choose as my friends." As she said those last words, Kagome glared straight ahead at Sesshōmaru as he made his slow entrance into the clearing.

"S-Sesshōmaru." Sango gasped, glancing quickly to her side where Kohaku stood.

"Is that so, mate?" Sesshōmaru asked, staring blankly back at Kagome.

Gripping Sango's hand tighter, Kagome nodded. "Hai. Like I said before, we've all been really stressed, but now. Now things are okay, now we will be okay. Right, Sango-ane?"

Seeing Kagome's bright smile, Sango lost the fear that had gripped her heart upon seeing the taiyōkai. "Hai, Kagome-imoto."

Tipping a slender black eyebrow upwards, Sesshōmaru stared a moment longer at his mate, before turning his back. "And as this Sesshōmaru said before, make one wrong move slayer, and you and your brother are dead." And then he was gone.

"Hn, well done, Kagome-koi." Yōko praised, sliding closer to his mate before pulling her into his hold.

"Keh! I was expecting more of an ass-beating." Inuyasha's gruff voice stated, his disappointment apparent.

"Inuyasha, although you may be stupid enough to pick a fight with Sesshōmaru whenever you feel like it, Kagome-imoto has to be careful with choosing her battles as she'll be living with him everyday from now on." Sango scolded, glaring at the hanyō.

"Feh!" was all the hanyō made to acknowledge Sango.

"You can huff all you like, Inuyasha, but Sango-sama is right. Kagome-sama will soon be living with Sesshōmaru-sama." Miroku agreed, stepping forward to place a gentle hand upon Sango's shoulder.

"As fascinating as this conversation is, Kagome-koi, would you like to escort your friends back to the village?" Yōko offered, tiring quickly of listening to his mate's human friends try to talk so sense into their hanyō companion.

"Yeah! Come on, minna." Kagome excitedly grabbed onto Sango once more before practically dragging the poor demon exterminator towards the village that they had come to call home.

* * *

The happy mood of the group quickly fell once they reached the edge of the village. Through everything that had been dealt with since the final battle, they had easily forgotten all of the lives that had been lost and how much destruction had been created, leaving only Kaede's hut standing.

"I buried as many as I could while you slept, but there are still more." Inuyasha spoke somberly, stepping forward to stand beside the tenma-nisou that had so quickly fallen humorless.

"Then we should get started." Miroku suggested calmly. "Kagome-sama, would you help me in blessing each of these poor souls?" the monk asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hai." Kagome nodded quietly, following him deeper into the decimated village.

"Then we should get started on digging the graves. Come along, Kohaku-otouto." Sango said, turning to lead her younger brother to where Inuyasha had previously designated as the grave site for the dead.

"Hai, Sango-ane."

"Then I suppose that leaves us to gather wood to begin rebuilding the village." Looking to his right, Yōko looked at the inu hanyō that he had spoken to and watched as a scowl formed on his face.

"What, you're not going to chase after Kagome and beg her to fuck you?" Inuyasha sneered angrily, turning swiftly on his heels to return to the forest. Yōko's chuckle from behind was enough to further anger the hanyō, drawing forth a fierce growl.

"No, Inuyasha. I will not be chasing after my mate so that we may explore each other in the most intimate of ways, as I can very well sense that Sesshōmaru has her under close watch." the kitsune replied, before falling silent.

And when he suddenly appeared before Inuyasha with a deadly look on his face, angry amber eyes glaring hard at him, the hanyō had to pause in his steps and take a small step backwards. "However, Inuyasha, I have long since had enough of your whining and bitching. So I will say this once, and only once. You lost, Kagome is mine and what I do with her is none of your business. Should I ever hear you speak out against anything Kagome and I discuss, whether it be personal or not, I will feed you to my Shoku Yō Shokubutsu. Are we clear?"

Though his eyes were narrowed hatefully at the fox, Inuyasha nodded his understanding. As soon as he did so, the vines that had begun to wrap around his legs, retreated.

"Very good, hanyō. I'm glad that we could come to this understanding. I would have hated to tell my beloved mate that I murdered her dearest friend." Chuckling to himself, acting as if he hadn't just threatened Inuyasha's life, Yōko turned and continue his way deeper into the forest in search of wood.

Once the kitsune was gone from his sight, Inuyasha sank to his hands and knees, panting in both anger and fear. _'Kagome...'_

* * *

Weeks had passed since the construction of rebuilding the village began. Three to be exact and although at first Sesshōmaru had been frustrated at having to wait around, watching as his mate helped, she had quickly reminded him that this village was within the borders of his lands and so it was his duty as Lord of the Western Lands to make sure that everything was taken care of.

Smirking at the brilliance of his mate, Sesshōmaru had quickly reminded her that it was also now her duty as Lady of the Western Lands, before relenting to her need to stay and help rebuild the village she had come to call home after leaving her time.

Now that the construction was finished, all that was left was something that fell into Yōko's expertise, the farms and gardens. "Anything for you, Kagome-koi." Yōko had promised his assistance, smiling sly. Now the kitsune stood in the middle of the area designated as farming land, while Kagome and Shippou watched him from just outside the borders.

Earlier, Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku had plowed the fields and planted the seeds. Now Yōko was preparing to stimulate the growth of all the plants that needed to sprout in order to supply the village and it's new residents.

Shippou had asked to watch the elder kitsune perform his abilities, a growing admiration in his emerald eyes. "Hey, Kagome, do you think that it would be alright if Yōko-sama trained me?" Shippou asked carefully, looking up at the tenma-nisou's face from his place in her arms.

"Shippou-kun, why would you want to train? Life should settle down and become peaceful now that Naraku is gone." Kagome asked, ruby eyes now focused intently on the young kitsune's own face.

"Well, I mean... Um," Shippou stuttered, scratching the top of his head nervously.

"Shippou-kun, relax. I would understand your need to train if you were going off to live by yourself, but you've decided to come live with me. I thought that you might want to enjoy the last few years you have of being a child."

"I do want to! But, I want to be able to protect you, y'know in case things don't work out in the Western Lands at Sesshōmaru's castle." the young child admitted quietly, and in her surprise, Kagome's eyes widened.

Blinking a couple of times, her shock wore off leaving behind only a tender smile. "Shippou-kun, you've been so good to me." she whispered, pulling the child closer to her heart. "And I appreciate your wanting to protect me. But I just want you to look after yourself from now on. Promise me you'll take care of _you_?"

"But Kagome, you're important to me and if something happens to you, then... Then I won't be happy." he said in all seriousness.

"Sh-Shippou-kun." Sighing in surrender, Kagome nodded. "Okay. I'll ask Yōko to train you."

"Yes!" the young fox cheered, throwing his arms around Kagome's neck and hugging her tight. And with his face buried in her neck, Shippou paused and bit his lip before carefully saying his next words. "Arigatou, okaa-san." he whispered, stiff as a board as he waited for Kagome's response to what he had called her.

_'Okaa-san? ...Oh Shippou-kun, I'm so honored... Arigatou.'_ Smiling gently, "Your welcome, aisoku." she whispered in return. With his face hidden in her neck, he did not see the tears of joy the gathered in her eyes, but she in turn did not see Shippou's own tears of joy at having finally found a mother that accepted him after being orphaned for so long.

"Well then," Yōko's voice said from in front of the mother and son pair, drawing both the pair of emerald and ruby colored eyes to his form. There was a smirk of delight on his dangerously handsome features. "Whenever you two are ready, I will show you how to perform the bonding spell that will make you blood family."

Both Kagome and Shippou's eyes lit up in wonder. "There's such a thing?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Hai!" Shippou nodded, turning his gaze to look at his mother. "It's supposed to be a secret and not even I know how to actually do it. But Yōko, you'll really will show us?" Green eyes searched amber excitedly.

Yōko chuckled in amusement, "Of course. But you know, this will make you my son as well, since Kagome is my mate." the elder kitsune answered.

"Hai, that's okay. ...Um, so long as you promise to take care of okaa-san and never hurt her."

The amusement fell from Yōko's face as he regarded the younger kitsune seriously. After a moment of silence he finally nodded his head. "I promise you, young kit. I will do everything in my power to keep your mother happy and safe."

Kagome sat quietly, watching the two kitsune in her life. Though they were speaking with words, she could sense something else happening in front of her that she didn't quite understand.

Suddenly Shippou released his arms from around Kagome's neck and stood on his own two feet in her lap, before he lifted his hand and stuck out the pinky finger of his right hand. "Pinky promise me." the red fox demanded of the silver.

Lifting a hand to cover her mouth and the giggle threatening to escape, Kagome watched as one of Yōko's slender eyebrows lifted in confusion, having never heard of a "Pinky Promise". But rather than saying anything, Yōko accepted the kit's strange sealing of a promise and held out his own pinky finger. And together, the two kitsune sealed the deal.

Sighing happily, glad that Shippou had accepted Yōko so easily, Kagome stood with the younger kitsune in her hold. "Come on my adorable little boy. I need your help packing my bag for my trip back to the future."

"Hai, okaa-san!" Shippou agreed.

With the construction to rebuild the village complete; Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Kirara, Kaede, and Inuyasha all planned to stay and live in the village. They knew that eventually wanderers would find their humble town and slowly begin refilling the land and now vacant homes. And though they were sad to know that Kagome and Shippou would be leaving their close family, it was understood that she was mated to Sesshōmaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and he would not allow them to live in this small village when he had a castle for them where he could handle all of his business as Lord, her helping as his Lady.

Tomorrow, Kagome, Yōko, and Sesshōmaru had planned for a trip to the future so that Kagome could properly explain to her family that she was going to stay in the feudal era with her two mates. They would spend a couple of days there before coming back and making their way, now with Shippou, towards Sesshōmaru's home in the Western Lands.

And though they no longer had the freedom to wake up and spend all day with each other, Sesshōmaru had reluctantly let them all know that they were free to visit Kagome, so long as they sent word of their visit before they would arrive.

Sango and Kagome had been ecstatic at the inu-yōkai's words and already planned for Sango and Kohaku and whomever else wanted, to visit three months after Kagome had left with Sesshōmaru, Yōko, and Shippou. This was only so Kagome had enough time to become accustomed to life as Lady of the Western Lands.

But for now, before everything changed forever, they would enjoy their time with one another and celebrate their victory against the dark hanyō.

* * *

In a clearing not far from the recently rebuilt village, Kagome and Shippou sat under the bright light of a half-full moon. Yōko stood in front of them, leaning against a tree.

"So then, you two are ready to perform the ritual?" Yōko asked, amber eyes shifting between his mate and her son as they both eyed him with excitement and nervousness behind their glassy orbs.

Tightening his grip on Kagome's kimono, Shippou nodded his consent. "Hai."

Sparing a quick look at her son's small form, Kagome smiled lovingly before returning her gaze back to her mate. "Hai." she nodded too.

Sighing, "You both need to understand that this process was made a secret for a couple of different reasons. One, if a demon child were to try this with a human, the human would die." Here, Yōko paused and watched as both Kagome and Shippou's eyes widened in shock.

It looked like Kikyō's curse was turning out to be a little more of a blessing than she had intended.

"Two, the process even for a demon child and demon adult, is very painful." Yōko continued once the two he was speaking to had refocused their attention on him.

Hearing this, Kagome held her hand up to signal her mate to pause. Turning to face her son, "Ano, Shippou-kun, I love you very much and I will not care if we are blood or not. So, if you're not sure about this, after hearing all that Yōko has said, then I won't be disappointed if you choose not to continue with the ritual." she said to the young kitsune.

Immediately Shippou shook his head. "Iie! I want to do this with you, okaa-san! I don't care if it's painful or not, I want to do this with you."

Moved by his determination, a small smile crossed Kagome's lips as she nodded. "Okay, Shippou. Let's do this together then."

For a moment, Shippou had wondered if Kagome wanted to back out because of her own fear of the pain they would have to endure, but seeing her agree with him, he sighed in relief. "Well then, come on Yōko. We don't have all day!" Shippou huffed, facing the silver kitsune once more.

Rolling his eyes slightly, the silver kitsune smirked and shook his head at the enthusiasm of the younger fox. "Alright. To begin, I am going to draw to symbols around the two of you, and you need to stay inside of them until the entire ritual has been completed." Yōko explained. Pushing off of the tree he had been leaning comfortably against, the silver kitsune kneeled and without wincing, he took a sharp claw to his left hand and slit the flesh enough so that a small, steady flow of blood began to fall from his hand.

"Yōko!" Kagome gasped, wanting to move and make sure that he was alright, but before she could, his amber gaze found her's and he shook his head.

"Iie, Kagome-koi. I'm fine, but you need to focus on your son. He's going to need you now more than ever."

Sighing and nodding, Kagome returned her attention to her son whom was watching her with bright and loving eyes. Together, they watched Yōko circle around them, drawing symbols in the earth with his blood. When he finished, he sat before them and licked away the last of his blood, cleaning the wound.

"Now, you both need to take the your middle finger of your left hands and hold them out to each other. Carefully take the finger into your mouths and bite down hard enough to draw blood. Don't spit the blood out, swallow it and just relax." The silver kitsune continued to explain the ritual.

Before following her mate's instructions, Kagome made sure she held her son's emerald gaze. "Shippou, no matter what happens, I'll always love you." she said.

Smiling brightly at the tenma-nisou, "Okaa-san, no matter what happens, _I'll_ always love you too." Shippou returned sweetly.

Promises made, Kagome and Shippou continued with the ritual and did as Yōko had previously instructed, drawing blood from each other in order to create the new bond that would hold them together, forever as mother and son.

Several moments passed after the exchange of blood. Several silent moments.

"That's it?" Shippou exclaimed, slightly disappointed. Huffing in exasperation, the young kitsune looked at Yōko. "That's all?! That wasn't painful at a-" Quickly Shippou fell silent as he felt his entire body pulse along to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Shippou?" Kagome called out, feeling the beginnings of concern in her heart when her son fell quiet. However, her concern melted away as she felt her body pulse along with her heartbeat.

"O-okaa-san." Shippou whimpered, before falling forward into her embrace, and whimpering in pain.

"Sh-Shippou!" Kagome cried fearfully, lifting her son's body to check him over, even as her body began to burn. Shippou's whimpers had increased to full cries and whimpers of pain. "What's wrong, Shippou?" she asked, panicking now when she couldn't find a visible reason for his pain. Tears began to fill her eyes as she watched her son suffer. "Oh, Shippou. I'm so sorry." Bringing the boy close to her chest, she hugged him while calling forth the healing abilities she knew she had, praying that it would help even if only a little. And to her relief, Shippou's cries quieted until he fell asleep, breathing heavily.

"Yōko, what's going on?" Kagome asked, turning her questioning gaze to her mate.

"Forgive me, Kagome-koi, but this is part of the ritual. I wish I could help, but-" Yōko dropped his sentence when he noticed the fact that his mate's own pain was beginning to intensify.

"Itai!" she cried when the slight burning sensations she had felt before, magnified until it was unbearable. "Shippou," she whimpered, realizing that he too had experienced the same pain. But before she could do or say anything, she felt a pulling on her soul that she couldn't resist. Falling asleep, answering the force that was calling out to her, her body fell to the side with Shippou still held tightly in her embrace.

"Kagome!" Several growls reached Yōko's delicate ears and looking up quickly, the silver kitsune found that all of Kagome's friends and her mate, Sesshōmaru, were standing in the clearing looking on in concern at Kagome and Shippou's unconscious forms.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Inuyasha demanded angrily, glaring hatefully at Yōko.

Narrowing his eyes at the inu that had quickly forgotten his promise, "Nothing, _Inuyasha_." he growled dangerously, practically spitting the hanyō's name.

Stepping forward carefully, Sango carefully eyed the symbols around her friends' bodies. Brown eyes lightened in recognition. "Relax, minna, Kagome-imoto and Shippou are simply on a spiritual journey."

"What kind of journey, Sango-sama?" Miroku asked curiously.

"To become mother and son." she replied easily. As a highly trained demon slayer, her family, in order to become as skillful at their jobs as they were, had learned all of the yōkai's secrets, including the ritual that would bond a demon to an orphaned demon child.

"What? ...I didn't know there was such a ritual." Kaede murmured thoughtfully, her one good eye watching both Shippou and Kagome for any movement.

"I know I don't know much, but isn't that supposed to be painful?" Inuyasha asked, slightly calmer, but still worried for the woman that he loved.

"Hai. But they will survive." Yōko replied curtly.

"They had better, or you will suffer the ultimate punishment for having killed my mate, Lady of the Western Lands." Sesshōmaru growled threateningly. His amber eyes focused their intense anger on the silver fox.

* * *

"Okaa-san!" Shippou cried out, scampering quickly towards the tenma-nisou on all fours.

"Shippou?" Kagome questioned, ruby eyes scanning the density of the forest for her son. Finding him, she sighed in relief and opened her arms just in time for him to leap into her embrace. "Oh, Shippou, I was so scared when you were in pain. Are you okay now?"

Sighing contentedly, the kitsune nodded his head. "Hai." he murmured, closing his eyes to relish in the feel of his mother's hold, something he had been afraid he'd never feel again after appearing by himself in this strange reality.

"So," Kagome began, breaking the child from his thoughts. "-do we know where we are?" she asked, and although the question was rhetorical, Shippou still shook his head.

"Nope, but that's okay. I've got you now, okaa-san."

Giggling delightfully, Kagome nodded. "Hai, we've got each other now. So, let's go and find our way back home. I get the sense that Inuyasha and the other's aren't going to be happy if they find out we're missing."

"Hai!"

* * *

"Sota, why did you do it?" Azumi asked of her son, watching him carefully even though his gaze was directed at something behind her.

Instead of an answer to her question, the young boy simply narrowed his eyes angrily. "Oh, so you actually care? You're really going to sit down and pay attention to me, unlike what you did with Kagome-nee-san?" he retorted crossly.

Biting her bottom lip, Azumi forced her tears away as her son's words tore at her already wounded heart.

It had been a whole month since Kagome had returned for her visit before her monthly transformation. Her daughter had never been gone this long – at least not without warming – and somehow Sota had found out what had happened between herself and Kagome the last day she had been here. Since then, her son had become rebellious towards her.

The first few days Azumi had let slide, thinking that his anger would cool and he would return to normal. Instead the boy's anger had continued to escalate to the point where Azumi had decided that Sota needed an idol to fill the gap that Kagome had left. And so, she had sought out a "Big Brother" program, which had immediately assigned Sota to a boy Kagome's age.

Urameshi, Yusuke was the teen's name and although he had his own rebellious nature, Yusuke's guidance had helped ease the tension around home.

Sota still hated her, Azumi knew. She also knew that he would never forgive her, not until Kagome returned home. And while she was glad that she had raised her two children to be so close, at this point in her life it was difficult to see as she dealt with the guilt and repercussions of her own mistakes.

And right now, she was dealing with one such consequence.

Sota had gotten into a fight at school with a boy that had made a joke about Kagome always being sick. The boy had been beaten unconscious while Sota came out unscathed. Apparently, Yusuke had been teaching her son some self-defense and instead of using it to defend himself, Sota had used his knowledge to defend his sister's reputation.

Yusuke was on his way over to speak with Sota about the fight, but until then Azumi knew that it was her duty as his mother to find out why Sota had beaten up the boy, and then discipline her son, even though she knew that it would only drive the stake deeper into the wedge that had formed in their once close relationship.

"Sota, that is enough! I have allowed you time to understand and heal, but now you have gone too far. To beat up that poor boy just because he made a small joke about Kagome-" Azumi was stunned when Sota stood quickly from his chair and left the room mid lecture.

"Sota Higurashi, return here this instance!" Azumi yelled after her son, but all she got in return was the slamming of a bedroom door.

Falling back into her chair, Azumi finally gave into the tears that had welled up earlier, sobbing uncontrollably at what had become her life. _'What have I done?'_

* * *

For what seemed like hours, Kagome and Shippou wandered through the forestry of this strange reality that they had been pulled into during the ritual to become mother and son.

"I hear running water up ahead. We'll stop and take a break once we get there." Kagome announced.

"Sounds good." Shippou nodded, walking calmly beside his mother, clawed hand holding tightly to a slightly larger clawed hand.

It didn't take long for them to reach the clearing with the thundering waterfall leading to a gentle steady river. To Kagome and Shippou's amazement, in the center sat two figures. And as if hearing the entrance of the mother and son pair, the two figures turned to greet the newcomers.

"Shippou?" Kagome frowned feeling the boy pull his hand away from her own, before taking an unsure step forward towards the two figures. "Shippou, do you know those two?" she asked.

"Otou-san? ...O-okaa-san?" the young fox whispered.

Kagome's ruby eyes widened in shock as she realized what was going on.

Swallowing with some difficulty, Kagome willed her racing heart to calm, praying to herself that this wasn't the type of spiritual journey it was turning out to be. "Come on, Shippou-kun, let's go say hello." she offered, smiling kindly when Shippou's forest colored eyes looked up at her.

"Okay." the kitsune kit nodded.

Slowly, the two made their way closer to the awaiting couple. A couple whom Shippou was correct in assuming as his parents. Parents whom waited with open arms and loving smiles.

"Shippou."

"My son." the older kitsune demons greeted their son in chorus.

"Momma! Poppa!" Shippou exclaimed ecstatically, running into his late parents' arms. "I've missed you so much! How-how are you here?!"

Suddenly feeling out of place, Kagome watched the young kitsune, whom she had come to love as her son, as he easily lost focus on what they were doing in this reality. Something she didn't mind. He had his real parents back, so why would he need her? This was the question she asked herself as she turned and made to leave the boy alone with his family so they could catch up.

"Ano, Kagome-sama, please wait." a female voice called out, obviously Shippou's mother.

And idly, in the back of her mind as she paused, Kagome recognized a small amount of jealousy in her heart. But feeling guilty, knowing that Shippou's happiness was more important, she forced herself to turn back around and look at the woman. "Um, actually I was just going to leave to give you all some privacy. This is after all, a special opportunity for Shippou."

"Nonsense! It would be rude of us to ask you to do such a thing when you're just as important to our dear son as we are." Shippou's father exclaimed, gesturing in a friendly manner for the tenma-nisou to come closer.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, feeling quite vulnerable as she stood opposite of Shippou, watching as he clung tightly to his father.

"Of course. You are Shippou's mother aren't you?" the female kitsune, whose name she did not know, asked.

Confused at the woman's words, Kagome frowned. "Ano, but aren't you-"

"We are merely spirit illusions to help guide you and Shippou on your journey. And while we do have memories of our lives as Shippou's parents, we are no more alive here, than we are in real life."

From his place in what he thought to be his father's arms, Shippou frowned disappointedly. Pulling away, he landed carefully on his feet before turning to face Kagome and was immediately struck with guilt when he saw how uncomfortable she looked standing there.

"Well then, hurry up and tell us what we have to do." Shippou nearly demanded as he quickly returned to Kagome's side. "Okaa-san and I don't have all day y'know." smiling brightly up at her, the young kitsune was relieved when she smiled back at him.

"Goodness." the spirit form of Shippou's mother laughed in amusement.

"He sure is impatient isn't he, Izumi?" Shippou's father chuckled.

"Hai, Shigeru." Izumi nodded.

"Shippou, don't you want to spend sometime with your parents? I mean, it's not everyday that one gets time with someone whose, _dead_." Kagome asked her kitsune son, careful with the term to describe the condition of his parents.

"Nah, they said themselves that they aren't real. Besides, I'm here with you, okaa-san." Shippou replied easily.

_'Awkward.'_ Kagome thought to herself, unsure of what Shigeru and Izumi would think of their son's words.

"Ano, Shippou-kun." Izumi began, taking a slight step forward towards her little boy, not at all hurt by his comments. Sparkling emerald eyes met another pair of twinkling gems as Shippou looked up at his deceased mother. "Although we may not be alive now, you could always... wish us back. With the Shikon no Tama that this woman carries in her soul."

* * *

_**Owari**_

* * *

Ha-ha! Cliffhanger! Man, it has been so long since I've used one.

Ahem, anyways, Shoku Yō Shokubutsu – Death Tree. The technique used against Ura Urashima during the Dark Tournament Saga of Yu Yu Hakusho.

I know that some of you may have been expecting more for a final battle with Naraku, but I've yet to develop the skills to write long drawn out battles. Sorry, but I'll not force anything only for it to end up, well.. atrocious.

I also apologize for such a long delay, but I've been quite busy and struck with several new and different ideas.

I've done what I can for this chapter, but I'm going to be honest when I tell you that I'm the type of author that when struck with a bright new idea, I can not sit still long enough to continue my other projects. Let alone ponder ideas on what to write about for anything other than my new fic.

So I want you to know that this chapter was nothing short of a miracle for me, and I do hope you enjoyed it. And I would also advise against waiting for another one, miracle that is.

That being said, thank you for reading! Now please leave your reviews. And whether they be criticizing or not, I will enjoy each of them.

Until my next miracle!

Sincerely,

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


End file.
